ANBU no Yoko
by Ikasury
Summary: -He smiled again at the pair. Yes, he now had a new purpose, even if only for a little while. A man and a monster died on the battlefield that day. A man, a mother, and a child walked away from it.- AU Kyuubi-centric R&R Extended Sum in Profile...
1. It begins with a Roar

A/N: whatup peeps, its me, that annoying person who drops massive reviews and is a lazy bum in my writings, not to mention my bad sense of humor X3

as for this, i decided to finally put a long-thought-out idea finally into text, i got a summary in a notebook somewhere, and i was looking at it when suddenly the damn thing wouldn't leave me alone, so here you go...

also, check me profile for the extended summary, i moved it to the buttom under my 'posted' stuff, or just skip to the bottom, it should be that one...

Dis: i only feel like saying this once really, the whole naru-verse-thingy that hath spawned us many afan to write strange alter-verses of the original naru-verse is owned by kishi-kun... the plot and what very, and i mean VERY few OCs that kinda, sorta, maybe will pop up here and there are mine...

General Warning: i will cuss, i will write gore, i will write sexual adult situations, innuendoes are my friends, there may be a few spoilers here and there from the Manga, and any scene i deem we all know too terribly well and isn't really changed i will more then likely not write, so you don't have to read it, anything else i forget to warn you about... well i'll remember when its necessary...

on with the show:

* * *

Freedom, it is what he felt as he ran through the forest, jumping between the leaves, branch to branch, as high and as fast as he could. He honestly felt like flying, with the wind blowing through his rustic fur, and the breeze speaking sweet nothings in his long ears. Kami, did he love the forest. To any other it was a fleeting dream that passed them as they went to far off lands, to him it was his home, and he wouldn't trade it for the world.

He landed softly on a large branch, his soft pads making naught a sound as he moved softly along it. He moved with an unknown grace, his fur shining in the sun reflecting an early sunset, as his long luxurious tails swayed behind him. How he loved his home, a pleased smirk never leaving his sharp face.

He padded to the edge of the large branch, looking below in to the darkness of the forest floor with his sharp crimson eyes, before deciding it was safe enough and leaped to a lower branch, then another, and another, until he made his way to the well worn trail below. His tails swayed as one when he stood on the firm ground, calmly trotting along the beaten trail. Few other creatures used this trail because it was his, his scent and markings all over the shaded area. It was his trail home, and no thing dared trespass on it. Or so he thought.

He was close to the end, to his den, when a scent hit him, one he was terrified to smell, especially now: his mate's blood. He immediately rushed through the underbrush, ignoring the beaten path for a far more direct route, as his paws brought him closer the scent became thicker, and the sound of his vixen's yelping became more prevalent. His crimson eyes narrowed as his youkai began to escape his steadily growing form. He knew his mate's scent, he knew the smell of her birthing blood and sounds she made when kits came, neither were present, the blood he smelled was too pure, too much, and her yelps too faint. It was too early for the kits to come so that left only one option: intruders.

He came barreling out of the underbrush as he heard the sounds of ningen, pathetic human mortals daring to defile his home. He was now the size of a man and his coat a dark crimson as he entered the scene before him: humans killing his mate. Rage burned in his heart as his fur stood on end, his youkai freely escaping as he let out a primal roar, drawing the attention of the humans. He killed those close to him quickly, the pieces of metal adorning their heads telling him they were ninja, and stood protectively over his wounded mate. A piece of his heart was torn apart as he could smell the dead kits, torn from his mate's womb and crushed by these degenerate humans. He could hear his mate's yelps and cries, she had never lost kits before and how it tore at her, she didn't even bother to heal her wounds, and he knew she would be dead soon from the grief. He lowered his large muzzle to hers, showing the last tenderness he would ever get to share with her, as he felt Shinigami pull her soul from her body.

She lay limp below him, her body losing its once abundant warmth, and for a moment he mourned.

But his sadness quickly waned as an all-consuming rage burned within him and consumed him. His feral blazing eyes found the remaining ningen, a cursed and putrid chakra exuding from their twisted forms. How he hated them. In a moment the forest floor before him, his once beautiful and loving home, was drenched with the blood of his mate's killers, their aberrant chakra paling compared to his burning youkai. And as he growled and panted his rage did not wane, these 'things' were only grunts, no minded trash sent to do a job, they may have been the hands, but they weren't his mate's REAL killers, and his rage wanted revenge, revenge for his mate. It called to him for the blood of all who were involved; he wanted the real killer, and all of their kin. He remembered the metal on their heads marking them ninja, a quick glance at the symbol and he knew his next target.

Letting loose a furious roar he pushed forth all his youkai, releasing it to its greatest might as his body grew, and grew, and grew to accommodate it. At his peak size, well above the forest, and towering over the greatest and mightiest of the trees he once called home, he headed towards his enemies' home, to the human village marked by the leaf.

* * *

High above the howling wind and the raging flames, he stood in all his bloody glory, his nine tails spread to their fullest, a single flick of any of them causing the ground below him to shake, with another a mountain would crumble, another and a tsunami rose to crush everything before him. In his true form, at his height, his pinnacle of power he dominated the battle before him. Blood filled his nose, fires burning in his eyes, the ground shaking below his feet, fear palatable on his tongue, how he loved and enjoyed the sensations as he slaughtered the foolish ningen that dared to face him.

Then without warning a cry reached his ears, not one of fear or rage, but one of an infant's. Somehow it reached his large ears through all the chaos and carnage around him. His mind running solely on blind rage, but somehow the human-kit's cries reached past his ears. An almost wonder as to why a kit would be on a battlefield passed the sane part of his mind, buried too deeply to be registered by the bloodlust that was in control. His colossal form turned towards the human-kit's cries and he came eye to eye with the mighty toad lord, a couple of ningens sitting atop his warty head, and in the female's arms lay the child in question.

His crimson eyes narrowed on the Hume-kit, its cries still the only thing in his large ears. The blonde male stepped protectively in front of the red-headed female, his demeanor claiming her as his mate. The great demon's rage-filled eyes narrowed at that, a painful reminder to his cause. He inhaled deeply as the blonde male spoke, his words falling on deaf ears, as the great fox's attentions remained on the female. Many scents came to him, mostly blood of those who fell to him, but what caught his attention most was the blood on the red female. It was not normal blood, like that lost in battle, but birth blood, as if the Hume-kit in her arms had just come into this world.

A twinge of grief befell the sane part of the fox-lord's mind, surprisingly making it through the haze made by his bloodlust and rage. How could he, that part called to him, how could he tear apart these people the same as those had done to him? Was he so low and bitter as to cause the same suffering to another? His eyes took in the Hume-kit, the one who's cries reached him, he looked into the eyes of the female who held him protectively, a deep regret filling them as if she knew she would die soon and her son would live without her or the male next to her, and finally he took in the clear eyes of the blonde male, who looked directly back into his crimson ones with his clear blue orbs. Something of a question posed in the male's eyes, a secret he seemed to keep from his female, one where he would take whatever burden was agreed upon between them. He looked behind the pair and his now-clear eyes could see the Shinigami standing at the human male's beck and call, as if waiting for an agreement to be met.

He didn't know his words, but the fox-lord knew his question: kill us both and die, or kill me and be reborn? A part of the great lord's mind scoffed at the idea, as if he had to choose. His answer was obvious. He would not be the same as those cursed humans, he would find the truth, and he would have his true revenge.

The great fox demon let loose a mighty roar, his answer given, as the Yondaime began a second series of seals, ones his wife had never seen before, and she knew were not the same as the seal they had agreed upon. Her eyes widened as he finished, the Kyuubi a hair's breadth from them, his hand raised as he touched the demon-lord. There was a blinding flash, and when it was over her husband was kneeling over her, a hand placed on their son's stomach.

Everything was strangely quiet, not a sound was heard as she looked at her husband. She noticed the concerned look on his face and sad smile that lay on his lips. She didn't know if it was a mirage or not but she thought she saw a ghost behind him, placing its large hand through her husband's chest and placing it on her son, on the same spot his hand was. She blinked and the apparition was gone. Her husband seemed to finally notice her gaze, his clear blue eyes finding hers, and again everything was silent. He stared at her a moment, then moving his hand from his son to push stray red hair out of her eyes. His gaze was warm and soft and she was reminded of the millions of times she had seen his smile before. His hand cupped her face and she swore it began to feel cold, something clicked in her mind as she looked back at his blue eyes noticing how cloudy they had become. His mouth moved as if to say something but no words escaped them, he smiled again at his futile effort and continued to look at his wife. And when his hand fell from her face and his eyes became distant and blank, she knew he had passed away.

Tears came first; her mind not wanting to believe what was before her, but her eyes knowing the truth. She sat up, realizing for the first time that she was on the barren ground instead of on Gamabunta's colossal head, her eyes still glued to her husband's still face, his body stuck in the same position of kneeling before her, disturbingly still. One hand held her son, THEIR son, as her other dared to reach for her lover's face; one she knew would be cold.

"Minato…" her voice was pin-drop soft, she wasn't even sure she said anything. Her hand reached his face, and it was barely warm and growing colder by the moment.

"Minato," she said with more force, for some reason her mind not accepting what was right in front of her. Her hand found his shoulder.

"Minato!" her voice raised as she lightly shook him, still no response.

"MINATO!!" she screamed as she got on her knees, now forcibly shaking what she knew was just an empty shell. The child in her other arm, which had been oddly silent until then, began to cry, as if knowing the pain his mother was going through.

"MINATO!!" she screamed again, this time reason gone to her as she buried her face in his chest, clutching desperately to his white jacket. She heard no heart beat, nothing to comfort her that this was all a bad dream. Tears streamed down her face as she finally let her reality come crashing down.

"Minato…" she began saying his name as a mantra between choked sobs as she was openly crying now. Her son's wails joining hers as if somehow knowing he had just lost his father.

"I'm sorry…" came a deep tone from behind her husband's corpse, his voice so smooth that for a moment she thought her husband was speaking to her from the grave. When she looked up she found it wasn't him, but instead a man wearing nothing. His long blood-crimson hair flowed in the wind as his strange eyes stared at her. There was something in his eyes, regret maybe, as he looked at her. She didn't know if it was a mirage or not but this man looked like he had slited eyes, like those of a cat's or…

"YOU!!" she stood quickly, fatefully losing balance from exhaustion and stress, but instead of falling on the ground the nude man quickly and gracefully caught her, and was now carrying her bridal style, her son surprisingly still safely in her arms. At this distance she could see every feature of this 'man' from the navel up; he was lean but muscular, with strangely flawless skin, as if he'd never had an injury in life. On the sides of his face, along his jaw line around his ears there were four black slashes, like birth marks, but they were small enough to be hidden by the wild red mane that framed his face. But what mesmerized her and terrified her at the same time were his eyes, at this distance she could tell they were indeed slited, and a flaming crimson, they were the eyes of that beast, eyes she would never forget for the rest of her days.

She struggled in his arms, trying to break free from his amazingly tight grip, but when that failed she conceded to what she thought would be her soon death in this monster's arms. She cried, openly and without restraint, her husband was dead, and she was caught by the demon he tried to seal, the only thought that ran through her mind was that she'd soon be with her beloved Minato.

As if reading her thoughts her son burst into a deafening wail, one that almost cost the red-haired man to lose his grip, thankfully he didn't. He looked at the Hume-kit wailing in his mother's arms, as he adjusted his hold to make them both more comfortable, he had blonde hair like his father, even now being only a few moments old, three lines on both his cheeks, and an extremely complex seal on his stomach. He smiled, for some odd reason, "He will look like his father…" he said without thinking, an eerie kindness in his thought-to-be-harsh voice.

The red-haired female looked at him in shock, tears still streaming down her face; she had no idea what to think about what he'd just said. A disturbed smile graced her mournful lips as she glanced at her husband's corpse, then back at her son. She held him tighter, not wanting to lose that last piece of the man she loved.

A ghost of a smile graced the man's lips, sad and mournful. He looked at the blonde man's body once more, this human who stared him down, this human who challenged him, this human who stripped him of his power and confined him to this now human form, this human who beat him: Kyuubi no Yoko. He stared a moment more before nodding his head to the only human he would EVER give such high respect to. He looked back at his great rival's mate and kit and vowed to himself he would protect them, he owed that man that much. He noticed the still hesitant look in the female's eyes, that glassy expression that she still wished to die to be with her mate, how much he felt the same as her. He shook his head, looking at the kit, an odd spark of joy filling his broken heart, his smile returning. "Live for him…" his words leaving his mouth before he even registered it.

The female looked at him in shock a moment, before looking back at her son. Tears still stained her face but for some odd reason she smiled as well, she still had her son. She nodded, as if agreeing to the demon-turned-human's words, before leaning into him and drifting into an exhaustion-induced sleep, her son following her quickly, being oddly comfortable with the former-demon.

He smiled again at the pair. Yes, he now had a new purpose, even if only for a little while. A man and a monster died on the battlefield that day. A man, a mother, and a child walked away from it.

* * *

He let out a sigh as the dream, or memory, faded from his mind's eye, and the familiar darkness of his empty bedroom filled his vision. A calloused hand came up to rub his tired eyes causing spots to fill his vision. –_Three years…_- he thought to himself, it had been that long since he brought up his new 'cause' of protecting what that man protected, as his final respects to that great human. Three years, and all he had was waking up to dreams or memories of nightmares, of an empty feeling that he was failing in his promise to a dead man.

He sat up, rubbing the sleep and soreness out of his shoulder; it had been dislocated in his last mission and rather forcefully put back in. His mind wondered; what had he been doing all this time? After that night he had been incarcerated by ANBU, or what was left of the 'quality' ninja and given a mask to cover their face, he remembered a particularly annoying runt with a 'Dog' mask kicking him in the stomach as soon as he let the medics take Kushina and her son, Naruto. –_And that little bastard is now my boss…_- he thought bitterly. Yes, after his year or so of being held in the deepest, darkest dungeon the village had to offer, he was recruited by some old gimp-looking man named Danzo, who happened to be this village's biggest prick and a serious nut-job obsessed with war. In his former life he may have liked the bastard, now he wanted him dead, even more then that 'dog'.

He sighed "At least that's over with…" yes, his time with Danzo was short. After the war-hawk presented his plans to the council about turning the 'Kyuubi' into a weapon, which ironically most of the council agreed to, the Third Hokage immediately had him transferred to his home and officially put under his protection. It wasn't long later that the Hokage offered him a position as a ninja, to help him fulfill his promises.

"Heh, that old monkey has a way with words," a soft grin being placed on his lips as he remembered that scene, it truly was fantastic to see that bandaged freak get outmaneuvered by a guy who looked twice his age. "He even gave me a name, instead of just calling me 'that monster' like the others…" his eyes taking on a nostalgic gleam, "Yoko," that was the name Sarutobi gave him, no one can say the old man didn't like being ironic. A foxish grin plastered itself on 'Yoko's' face.

He quickly got up out of bed, even though he could tell it was still in the middle of the night he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep. He looked out his bedroom window and spotted the crescent moon raised high in the sky. He was a fox, even if he was now human, and he loved the crescent moon, and often on nights like this he just couldn't sleep, too many memories finding him, too many dreams escaping him, and he often woke, as he did tonight, with an urge to move and dance and frolic under the stolen moon.

He went to his dresser, and reaching behind it found the secret spot behind it to reveal a fake wall, he slipped his hand in and retrieved his ANBU uniform. Yes he, the former Kyuubi no Yoko turned human, was an ANBU of the village he once tried to destroy in a bloodthirsty rage, how ironic. –_and my name is 'Yoko'…_- his foxy grin finding his face again, if that old man hadn't already been claimed by the monkey clan, he'd have certainly thought him a fox he could like. He withdrew his hand and stared at the 'Fox' mask on top of his uniform, -_As if he needed to give any more clues as to 'what' I am, he goes and hand makes me a 'Fox' mask, despite that being against normal ANBU code…_- a sigh escaped his mouth, before his grin came back –_Yep, definitely a fox I could like_-

The former-fox quickly donned his uniform and sliding his mask in place with a year's worth of practice, its grinning sharp smile reflecting his own behind it. After quickly finding his gear, in other oddly placed secret spots and fake walls and floorboards, he quietly lifted his window and slipped out as if he was never even there.

-_If it weren't for that man…_- he grinned, for once not thinking of his greatest rival as he thought that line, -_that old monkey, I'd be the council's plaything…_- his face became solemn behind his grinning mask, -_I would have never been able to keep my promise, and I would have failed completely…_- his silent steps continued along the rooftops, leaving no trace of his existence, and no sound to be followed. He thought back to Kushina and Naruto, throughout the year or so he was incarcerated and then held by Danzo they had gone through hell. Kushina had almost been arrested, on the simple cause that she was a foreign ninja, despite the fact she had been registered as a Konoha-Nin a few years before the whole 'Kyuubi incident'. Apparently the council and townspeople wanted someone to blame, and she became an easy target being a foreigner and claiming Naruto as the Yondaime's son, which Yoko knew to be the truth. –_Humans who are afraid as far more cruel then I ever thought they could be, those bastards…_- But thankfully the Sandaime was a kind old man and had the two placed under his protection, but it wasn't enough to stop the hatred that spread in the older generation.

A growl escaped Yoko's human throat, he didn't know how it started, or more importantly WHO started it, but somehow the knowledge that Naruto had some connection to his former self got out, and before the Sandaime could effectively enact his decree to 'never speak of the truth of Kyuubi on punishment of death' it had spread to the entire older generation, and damn did these people act with a vengeance. In the twenty-four hours that followed the start of Yoko's initial incarceration, when he had left Kushina at the hospital, there were 67 attempts on Naruto's life –_and the damn kit wasn't even a day old yet!?_- Kushina had refused any form of treatment that required her to be separated from her son, it wasn't until the Sandaime, still retired at the time, came to her aide did she dare to hand Naruto off to anyone else, and even then it was to the Third and the Third alone.

There was a bitter irony to the whole situation, because Yoko was held in the deepest, darkest dungeon Konoha had he essentially didn't exist, and with his emergence a year later his connection to the whole 'Kyuubi' incident didn't seem to exist. –_The kit took the brunt of all the blame, and he and his mother have been suffering MY punishment since…_- he stopped a moment and crouched on a rooftop across the street from a bar. His face became grim –_Those people…_- his grip on the cement became hard enough to crack it as he watched fellow ninja and civilian's get themselves plastered. –_They threaten their heroes and idly allow the REAL scion of their most hated enemy to roam freely, and they even greet me cheerily simply because I wear one of their headbands…_- he gritted his teeth –_All because they know I'll protect them…_- He hated it, the whole situation. Few if anyone knew who he really was, and those that did never said a thing, afraid he'd be able to hear, and instead put all their hatred on a boy barely old enough to talk right.

He shook his head; he needed to get away from these thoughts, not only were they too damn depressing, but they made him start to wonder about his choices on 'who' he should be protecting and why. –_I promised __Him__ that I would protect his mate and kit; I promised Sarutobi I would protect his village as my debt to him for protecting me from it…_- He quickly left the bar, feigning ignorance when a fight started to break out when some Chuunin scum-bag frisked a girl he knew was jounin, at least. The yowls he overheard as the man became disturbingly acquainted with his family jewels certainly brought a smile to his once solemn face. –_At least I don't have to protect them from themselves; else my job would never end…_- he wondered about the girl at the bar, and made a mental note that if she ever got 'detained' for that he'd watch her, if only to congratulate her on her choice of 'punishment'. He laughed to himself as he leaped away –_weak males should seek power before even thinking of touching a strong vixen…_- the grin on his face solidifying his opinion of human's as being general idiots.

* * *

A/N: Ningen means humans, and in my opinion sounds more deragatory coming from a demon then just saying 'humans'... Kami are god/s

i'm giving out cookies to anyone who can guess who the girl in the 'bar' scene is, and extra special cookies to those that can acurately guess what she did to that guy...

and yes, i'm evil...

Sayounara, Mina!!

-Ikasury


	2. Father and Mother

A/N: hey lookie, i'm back!!

anyway, i'd love to thank InARealPickle for reviewing, and i highly encourage others to follow in their foot-steps... plus you get a cookie for guessing correctly that the young lady with 'anger issues' from the bar is Anko, hehe, though i'd still like to see someone guess what she did to the guy...

this chappy i think turned out 'interesting', especially since this whole sequence consisted of about a sentence in my notebook, but oh well, creativity is often amusing like that, and i think i've made both 'parents' slighly bi-polar, but i think that comes with parenting anyway...

plus its come to my attention, through re-reading/editing, that i will indeed be making alot of assumptions along with stating stuff 'revealed' from the manga, treat all things as fact in this alter-verse and were all just peachy...

Dis: still applys from Ch.1... and i hate you Kishi-kun for making money while i'm broke

Gen. Warn.: still VERY much applys from Ch.1... and wow, Kushina...

* * *

It had been a quiet night, aside from the 'bar' incident, nothing else really seemed to catch his attention. A few wondering drunks, some hot-blooded couples in back alleys, the normal stuff. It seemed that the cause was the festival earlier, to celebrate some dignitaries or something; he hadn't really been paying attention to the whole affair, having been asleep the whole day. –_so of course I wake up in the middle of the night and watch the 'end' of the festivities_- yes whenever there was a party, parade, or festival to have, the bars stayed open well past normal hours and the whole village seemed to have a hangover the next day.

–_At least it wasn't to celebrate my 'death', the kit usually has it the worst on that night, even if it's his birthday_- Yoko sighed as he sat down on the edge of the latest building he landed on. He tussled his crimson locks, shaking his pony-tails in a manner that caused the rings tied to the end of them to jingle. For a moment it sounded like a wind-chime, and he actually smiled, he liked the sound of ningen wind-chimes, it was almost like little prayers of thanks to the gods of the wind. He looked up, noticing for the first time he was in the clan districts. –_Hmm… Shinto-style roofs and houses…_- he looked at the buildings, noticing a large one in the center surrounded by other smaller ones. –_I must have ended up in the Hyuuga district…_-

"Tch," a disgruntled grunt came from his mouth. It's not that Yoko had anything against the Hyuuga; the white-eyed clan had proved several times to him that they did indeed deserve their title as Konoha's pride, because they sure as hell had plenty of it to go around, but from what he'd heard their practices were less then admirable. He shrugged as he sat on the roof, not really knowing much about them other then rumors and the few times he'd actually worked with a few.

_Tat, tat, tat, tat…_

Yoko's ears immediately perked at the low sound in the silent night air. –_That sounds like foot-steps?_-

_Tat, tat, tat, tat…_

Again he heard the foot-steps. He immediately got into a crouched fighting stance on the roof, watching the road closely as the sound grew nearer. –_A man_- he extended the range of his hearing, he could tell they were in a hurry, from the way their running was auditable. His ear twitched –_his right hits lower, a limp? No, it sounds like added weight; he's carrying something on his shoulder? No, it'd more uneven, carrying something on his right side, under his arm_- he listened more, the sound several feet from him, coming up the street on the other side of the building, -_from the main house? At this hour?_ - as if to respond to his silent musing a whistle was sounded from the main house signaling the guards.

A grim look overcame Yoko's usually grinning features. –_Something is definitely wrong_- he could hear the guards gathering and began leaving towards his position. A lone figure seemed already in pursuit of the running man, and gaining quickly. If the killing intent coming off the pursuer meant anything the thief must have stolen something rather precious.

Yoko breathed in deeply through his nose, enhancing his sense of smell to try and pick up anything on the thief. –_Gravel dust, rich in iron, ozone?_- Yoko's eyes snapped open, -_Kumo-Nin!_- Yoko thought back to every moment he'd fought cloud ninja, his face grew grim. –_They always seemed to have an obsession with going after any Hyuugas… if he came from the main house that can only mean one thing…_- Yoko sniffed again, picking up the scent of flowers and lacquered wood. A growl emanated from his throat –_Kidnapping…_- The former kitsune gritted his teeth, his hand gripping the tile below him hard enough to crack. He didn't care what you were, human, demon, Kami; you don't steal others' kits!!

A moment later and the Kumo-Nin rounded the corner and almost passed Yoko's position. Key word: Almost. In an instant Yoko disappeared from his roof-top spot, and appeared in that same instant behind the fleeing kidnapper. Yoko reached out with both hands, quicker then lightning, and grabbed the man's neck, squeezing tightly.

"What the f-" was all the Kumo-Nin got out before his voice box was crushed further cutting him off. Reflexively he reached with both hands to the pair around his throat, trying desperately to remove them, completely forgetting about the bundle under his right arm.

There was a blur from behind the kidnapper, and before the little girl he had been trying to steal hit the ground she was swiftly picked up and was now held gently in the arms of a tall ANBU with long red hair and a fox mask. The Kumo-Nin stared for a moment mesmerized and terrified by the man with the disturbingly grinning mask before him, completely forgetting the hands still around his neck. He was swiftly reminded of the person behind him as their left arm encircled their his neck and his left arms was forced into a hold, only to have the attacker's foot kicked his legs out from under him so he was now on his knees.

"Look away Hime-chan," the voice was low and calm, coming from the red-haired ANBU in front of him, the cloud ninja looked up to find the girl he'd kidnapped suddenly awake, her small white eyes wide and confused, as the ANBU turned from the kneeling Kumo-Nin. The captive looked on confused for a second, wondering if his captor, assumedly another ANBU, was going to kill him right there and then. His answer came in the form of the ANBU's foot crashing down on his right leg, a resounding crack signifying it was now broken. He tried to think of a jutsu to get out of this situation, if only he could form the seals. As if reading the foreign Nin's thoughts, the ANBU's hand holding his left hand quickly twisted it in a way that caused his whole arm to bend, in the wrong direction. The ANBU did it slowly and deliberately painful as the cloud ninja bit his, causing it to bleed when there was a significant crack followed by a pop, and a painfully numb sensation ran all along that arm.

-_That's it, I'm not taking this anymore, if he won't kill me then I will!_- The Kumo-Nin seemed to slack a moment in Yoko's arms, as if surrendering, but the fox-masked ANBU didn't loosen an inch. The fox ANBU watched the foreigner carefully. Then there was a small, almost insignificant motion of the man's jaw. Yoko noticed immediately, and before the man had a chance for finished what he had intended to do Yoko's hand grabbed around the man's jaw locking it open as his other hand reached into his now open mouth and pulled out one of his back molars.

"Cleaver," came the deep rumbling voice from behind the Kumo-Nin, his eyes widening as he realized it was the same voice as the ANBU in front of him. –_Only one man!?_- Yoko pressed his new position, his body sitting on the man's broken leg, while his knee was pressed up against his back, painfully crushing the man's broken wrist and dislocated arm in to his back, pinning the useless limb, as his left hand still held his jaw open painfully, while his right idly displayed the removed tooth in front of the now terrified Ninja. The cloud ninja could feel Yoko's grinning mask come close over his right shoulder, "Now this is something I haven't seen in a long time: Cyanide-filled false teeth," he waved the tooth around in front of the man, making sure his attention was on the bloodied object in his hand. He placed the tooth on the ground not far from the cloud Nin's still working hand, "a failure's suicide of choice, I hear." Yoko's free hand grabbed the man's viable one and placed it over the tooth, "I think I'll let you hold on to this, ne?" The Kumo-Nin could see the grinning fox mask out of the corner of his eye, a fear welling up in him about what this fox would do next.

The fox mask tilted slightly, in a manner that suggested the wearer was smiling, before his right foot came down on the cloud ninja's once useful hand, crushing it in a way that broke the bones in his hand and forced the semi-sharp part of the false tooth to be painfully imbedded into it without out breaking the tooth and releasing its poison. The cloud Nin's hand now bled profusely as he mauled the side of his mouth trying to block out the pain.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry," the comment was so thickly laced with sarcasm you could hear the fox's grin in his tone, his mask seeming more his true face then a mask. He ground his foot into his bleeding hand as he continued, "I didn't mean to do that," the Kumo-Nin heard the familiar sound of metal being removed from a pouch, the fox grin ever present, "I meant to do th-"

"HINATA!!" Yoko looked up at the call, a rather distressed, and extremely pissed off man in a white rob charging towards him. His family's bloodline active and making the man with the long black hair disturbingly frightening, even to Yoko, add in his killing intent, and the former fox could have sworn his captive had relieved himself in fright. –_now why can't I have that kind of effect, I've effectively broken all his limbs…_- an undignified glare coming from behind the fox mask as the man in white came barreling at his 'other' self holding the girl.

"Wait, I'm not-" was all Yoko's shadow clone managed to get out before enough chakra was pumped into its 'heart' to kill any man five times over, courtesy of one very pissed off Hyuuga and his family's patented Taijutsu, Jyuuken. The real Yoko, holding the Kumo-Nin, watched as this man effortlessly destroyed his clone and fluidly captured his once again unconscious daughter and held her rather protectively. Only the most minute of puzzlement passed the man's blazing eyes as his 'target' poofed out of existence, to reveal and ANBU holding another man in a rather unorthodox, and painful looking hold. The ANBU's fox mask seemingly glaring at him. An unusual silence filled the street.

"You know, you'd be in a lot of trouble if that had been the real me…" came the ANBU's bizarre statement, only to be answered with a glare from the elder Hyuuga as he seemed to be analyzing the fox-masked man and his captive. A stare down commenced as both the Hyuuga and Yoko 'examined' each other, looking for any kind of falsehood, both seemingly ready to pounce the other at any moment, despite both their 'charges'. The ANBU seemed to lean in, gripping his captive painfully and forcing him to look directly at the male Hyuuga, "I'm going to be taking him to interrogation, anything you want to say to your daughter's captor?"

The Hyuuga's white eyes narrowed at the ANBU's words, "I want to see his face."

Yoko nodded his head in agreement, slipping his kunai back in it rightful pouch, he used his free hand to lift the black cloth from his captive's face. As soon as his face was reviled the Kumo-Nin seemed to tense even more under the Hyuuga's glare –_If looks could kill…_- Yoko thought to himself, a small part of him feeling sorry for the guy. Being face to face with that look of absolute murder on the Hyuuga patriarch's face, and especially with his eyes, Yoko was beginning to understand perfectly why broken bones were pittance to this guy. –_I was once the most feared being in existence, and even I never want that look directed at me…_-

Yoko coughed, clearing his throat, and ending the 'death by gaze' that the male Hyuuga seemed to be trying to achieve. He didn't seem to notice, "Well, if you're done I think I'll be going now…"

"One more thing," Yoko could tell it was a command, not a question.

The fox ANBU gave him a funny look under his mask, which he was almost sure the white-eyed man could see, "No, you can't kill him, he has to be interrogated, and that's best when they're alive," Yoko stressing that last word making it sound more like a joke then a blunt statement. The Hyuuga patriarch just turned his stony gaze to the red haired ANBU, he didn't seem fazed. Then a tilt of the fox-masked man's head, and an evil grin spread on his face, worthy of the mask he wore, "But other than that…" he left his words open for everyone's interpretation.

The Hyuuga nodded, closing his eyes, he took a step forward so that he was barely a couple inches from the cowering man. The Kumo-Nin didn't even have a chance to be consumed by fear as the Hyuuga patriarch suddenly high-kicked him square in the jaw. The man fell over limp, surprisingly still in Yoko's grasp.

Said ANBU raised a brow, "Powerful enough to knock him out, yet restrained enough not to kill, nicely done Hyuuga-san." The former kitsune nodded his head, impressed by the man's restraint. He quickly stood holding the unconscious and extremely injured ninja under one arm.

The Hyuuga allowed a small sigh as he slightly relaxed, he too nodding his head, if only slightly, "Your help in capturing this man is most appreciated, ANBU-san, though unnecessary," the famed Hyuuga superior attitude finding its place as soon as his rage subsided.

"I suppose that's the closest to a 'thank you' as I'm going to get?" the ANBU's disgruntled look could be easily heard in his voice. The Hyuuga seemed to ignore him and continued walking towards his home, his daughter safely in his arms. "Yea, whole lotta gratitude these people have," Yoko growled under his breath as he started walking the other way.

There was a shift in Hiashi's arms as his daughter seemed to come to the waking world, "Otou-san?" came her soft whisper of a voice as she tried to wipe the tiredness from her eyes.

A small part of the Hyuuga lord smiled as he saw that his only daughter was safe and sound, "I'm right here Hinata-chan and everything is alright." If anyone else had heard how soft and kind his voice was they may have thought themselves mad before realizing it was THE Hyuuga Hiashi speaking, but Hinata just smiled, that was always how her father spoke to her. "Go back to sleep," he lightly cooed to his precious daughter. The small Hyuuga girl nuzzled into her father's kimono, comforted by its familiarity and warmth, letting his motion lull her back to sleep. She was quiet a moment, and Hiashi thought she had fallen back to sleep, but she rolled so she could look at her father's face again. The look she gave him made it look like she had something she wished to say, he remained silent waiting for her question.

"Where's Kitsune-san?" the soft voice finally asked.

Hiashi immediately stopped his movement and looked at his daughter. She looked half-asleep, but oddly alert for his answer. Hiashi voiced the first question that came to mind that didn't involve getting either of them upset, "Who are you talking about Hinata-chan?"

She rubbed her eyes again, "The man with the fox-mask, the one…" She yawned, her tiredness showing again, "The one who hurt the bad man." She nuzzled again into her father's kimono. He patted her head as a sign of affection.

"He went and took the bad man away," it was all he could say, he wasn't exactly sure what else he could say, surely nothing a three-year-old would understand. "Go back to sleep Hinata, we'll be home soon," he patted her head again and adjusted his arms to make her more comfortable.

"I hope I get to see Kitsune-san again…" she absentmindedly spoke as sleep finally overtook her.

Hiashi shook his head. He felt torn hearing his daughter say that, he never wanted that monster anywhere near his precious daughter, but if it weren't for that 'monster' he probably would have lost her. He stroked her midnight blue hair as he continued walking, "I hope you do to, sweetie."

At the other end of the street Yoko grinned underneath his foxy mask, "I hope so too, Hime-chan." His thoughts for once being rather bright and cheery as he headed towards the torture and interrogation building with his bundle held firmly under his arm. At least now he knew he had one fan, and maybe that was enough to give him some hope for this village.

* * *

As the light of day broke the distant horizon, Yoko crept up the wall of his apartment complex. As swift as a fox and as quiet as a mouse, he climbed up the wall, vertically crawling on all fours towards his window. –_Well, that was an 'interesting' night..._- he thought as he grinned to himself. Normal rabble, a memorable barroom brawl, and a failed kidnapping followed by an interrogation!! It certainly was a busy night for the former fox. –_And I managed to do some good, how lovely_- his grin grew, wide and sharp, mimicking the fox-face on his mask.

He made it to his window. He crouched on all fours parallel with the side of his window. He paused a moment and looked around wearily, making sure no other saw his form entering this particular window. –_All clear out here…_- he quickly turned back to his glassy entrance, and forming a half-ram seal quickly disabled the traps he placed around the frame. As quickly and as quietly as he could he slipped his fingers under bottom of the panel and lifted it gently, being sure to make naught a sound. He slipped into his room, closing the window as quietly as he opened it, before crouching on the ground in the hopes of being silent, for he surely didn't want to be caught.

"Out late again, I presume," Yoko's whole body froze at the voice. Of all the people he didn't want to be caught by, it had to be her and it was obvious by her voice she was none too pleased either. –_Why me, Kami-sama? Do you truly hate this vessel __**that**__ much?_-

"Where were you?" from his position on the floor he could see her foot tapping, oh yes, she was pissed at him. –_You just hate me, that's it isn't it Kami-sama?_- when she received no answer immediately a growl escaped her chest and her foot seemed to tap faster. "Yoko!!"

The former-Kyuubi could have sworn, if he still had his large, luxurious ears, they'd be folded back on his head, at least that's how he could describe how he felt in this position at the time. "Kushina, you know I mean no disrespect, but I was merely out patrolling," he had his arms out in a passive manner to accentuate his plea, because that is surely what it felt like to him: being on his knees with his arms out spread, prostrated before an extremely angry female, yep only one word could describe his situation better, and he dared not say. –_I, the mighty Kyuubi no Yoko, am whipped by a Ningen female, how embarrassing…_- He mentally sighed before continuing, "That and-"

"Yoko," she took a step forward, her arms crossed, her crimson hair seeming somewhat ominous, "It was your day off!!" she seemed to stress the last word, "and you know what that means."

"Yes," he seemed to pout, "I know that, but-"

"No Buts, Yoko," she took a step forward, her anger seeming to only rise the closer she came to the former-kitsune, "You know why I need you to be here when you can. What if something happened to Naruto while you were out?" The look she gave him was close to tears with blind fury rolled in, "He's only THREE YEARS **OLD!!**" her fury coming to a boil at the unmentioned thoughts running through her mind, none of them anywhere near pleasant.

"You know nothing would happen to him!" Yoko shouted back, now on his feet and showing the first ounce of backbone throughout this whole argument, "You know damn well, woman, that I've rigged this place with enough traps to last the entire village barring down to come get him, and he wouldn't even notice a damn thing!" if there was one thing Yoko couldn't stand it was someone questioning his responsibility, ever since his mate's death he had kept every place he lived in, especially when he moved in with Kushina and Naruto, filled to the brim with traps only intruders could set off. "And you know damn well no human could pass those traps if they had any kind of mal-intent, especially towards the Kit!"

Yoko's eyes were blazing when he spoke, and Kushina was reminded that the once fox-lord cared about her son as much as she did, as if he were his own, it was only pointed out by how he almost always referred to Naruto as 'Kit'. Kushina's green eyes were absorbed in Yoko's crimson flames, and for an eerie moment she was reminded of Minato. He had never been as forceful as Yoko, never as rude, never as aggressive, but if there was one thing she found in the fox-lord's eyes that reminded her of her deceased husband's it was the same passion he had for protecting those close to him, and sometimes that just scared her.

She turned away from Yoko, her eyes for some damnable reason turning his eyes blue and his hair blonde, the sad reminder bringing a tear to her eye. "I'm sorry Yoko…"

The former fox sighed and relaxed his posture, far too often did he and Kushina butt heads. Far too often did they have the same fights over petty things, far too often did the reality slip that to her he was still _That_ Kyuubi no Yoko to her, and not the ANBU that has been living in her spare room for over a year and a half. –_She never looks me in the eye, and when she's forced to she looks away…_- he mentally sighed -_Kami-sama, if you have some mercy, let this poor woman move on, or find her someone better to help her care for the Kit, so she doesn't have to be constantly reminded of __His__ death, by harboring his murderer_-

"Yoko, why did you go out?" her voice was so much more subdued, it was almost creepy. She half-turned towards him, her green eyes catching him again, an almost look of concern in them, "You were hurt in your last mission, you were supposed to rest."

The former fox shrugged, "I'm fine," he rolled his previously sore shoulder just to prove a point, even if it did still hurt some. He looked at the floor, finding no better place for his eyes, "I woke up and couldn't go back to sleep, so I decided to head out, and it was a good thing too…" he left the end open in hopes of piquing her interest. A smirk formed on his face when she raised a brow.

"So you going to continue, or do I have to wait for a censored report from the Hokage?" her tone was flat and giving the impression he didn't really have a choice.

Yoko sat on his bed, "Well for starters I noticed more than half the village was in a bar getting plastered," he could have sworn he heard Kushina snort, he grinned. He snapped his fingers as if remembering something, "oh yeah, there was this fight that was pretty funny, some guy frisked this girl and she…" Yoko snickered while the red haired woman eyed him, "Well… let's just say he won't be having children in the future." The smile he gave was a disturbing mixture of sugar-coated joy wrapped in sadism.

"I bet it was Anko…" she said under her breath with a snicker without even realizing it.

"Who?" Yoko looked honestly curious as he raised a brow.

"No body," she answered, giving him no chance to contend for the information he wanted. He pouted and she seemed to ignore him as she leaned against his door across from him, "So what else happened, I doubt that was all, if it was supposedly a 'good thing' you left my son by himself." Her tone was rather cold in that last part and Yoko felt stabbed in his chest.

-_She's never going to let me live this down is she?_- Yoko thought for a moment as he eyed the red head in front of him, the answer was obviously a big fat 'No'. The former fox mentally sighed –_My luck I guess…_- He crossed his arms, trying to look impressive, "As it would so happen, I prevented a certain clan's heir from being kidnapped!" he said as smugly as he could.

"Which clan?" Kushina's voice had a dry edge to it, as if she was waiting for the punch line of a very unfunny joke.

Yoko gulp, "The Hyuugas…" he put on an innocent smile, praying to not be hurt for saving his newest fan. Kushina was still for a moment, then out of nowhere she clinched her fist and punched a new hole through Yoko's door. Yoko was tense as the woman's back was still and turned towards him, a suddenly large wave of killer intent rolling off her, "Um, Kushina?"

"Those fucking white-eyed bastards!" her voice was practically a low growl.

"Kushina," Yoko took a moment to compose himself better, "Look, I know you hate them, but-"

"Hate them?" that growl still in her voice as she pulled her hand out of the door and turned towards the former demon, "I fucking despise them!!" she looked him in the eye, her fury from before back in full force, "It's because of that fucking Xenophobic bastard of a clan-head Hiashi," she practically spat with how much venom she said in his name, "that Naruto couldn't claim his father's fucking clan name!" She clinched and unclenched her fists as she started pacing the former fox's room, "He's supposed to be 'Namikaze Naruto'," she paused in her pacing, clinching her fists until the knuckles were white and was audibly gritting her teeth, "not… Uzumaki Naruto." Despite her anger her son's name came out as a quiet whisper.

Yoko watched her as some semblance of calm returned to her, "Kushina…" there was an honest concern in his voice, and he wasn't sure she could hear it, "There's nothing wrong with him having your clan name, after all you are the one who is alive?"

A frustrated sigh escaped between gritted teeth, "That's not the point Yoko," she force her hands to unclench as she took a breath to try and calm down, "He's Minato's son, the Forth Hokage's son, he should have his father's honorable name!" she brought a hand to her face as tears began to escape her eyes, "Not my dead family's."

The room was silent for a moment except for Kushina's silent sobs. Yoko was at a loss for what to do in this situation. He had seen Kushina cry many times, but for some reason it felt awkward for him to comfort her, it always felt like there was this huge wall between them, preventing them from being anything more than associates, and no matter how much he learned about this red haired young woman he was always beyond finger-tip distance. –_Nothing I do seems to ever make anything better…_- he ran a hand through his top mane of crimson locks, trying to decide if there was anything he could say to make this better. He knew there wasn't.

"I'm sorry…" was his soft reply.

Kushina lowered her hand and turned towards him, her eyes red from her tears, "Why?"

Yoko looked up at her, "I didn't mean to bring **them** up…" his face looked like that of a child caught doing something bad.

She still had her hand around her mouth as her eyes became distant. The look on her face reminded Yoko of someone in deep thought, and more than likely arguing with themselves, and probably losing. She sighed audibly, as if admitting defeat to herself, "I shouldn't have reacted like that."

"Well it seems they have wronged you, so it's not entirely unfounded," Yoko tried to reason, trying to make her not feel bad about blowing a hole through his door and yelling with enough killer intent to choke a civilian.

"That's not what I meant," she said in a slightly irritated tone, tussling her own red hair, "What I meant was I shouldn't have reacted that way to you about what you did," when the former fox gave her a confused look she seemed to pout, "I'm acting like a bitch when I should be congratulating you for saving a member of this village from being kidnapped," then she added under her breath to herself, "Even if they were a Hyuuga," a still audible amount of venom in the clan name, if significantly less then when she said 'Hiashi'.

Yoko scratched the back of his head, a dust of pink on his cheeks from embarrassment, "Well, she was kinda cute…"

"She?!" Kushina rounded on Yoko with more of a look of astonishment than anything else. –_That damn kitsune better not be hitting on ANYONE from __**THAT**__ clan!!_-

"Oh yes, she was so adorable, especially in her little night kimono…" the former fox said in a disturbingly 'cute' manner. Kushina looked like she was going to be sick. While Yoko continued despite his company's reaction, "and it was especially adorable when she told her dad, that prick Hiashi," Kushina visibly twitched at his name, "that she wanted to see me again, she even called me 'Kitsune-san'!!" there was definitely a disturbing amount of glee in the fox's voice. He looked over at the red headed female, noticing she looked oddly stricken, "Kushina?"

Suddenly the former fox-lord found a certain woman's hand across his face. –_She slapped me?!_- He looked at her dumbfounded as his hand absentmindedly rubbed the reddening palm print on his face.

"There is no way, NO FUCKING WAY; you are dating that, that…" she seemed to scream, "One of **THEM!!**"

Yoko gave her a queer look, like she'd suddenly grown another head, "Do you think that lowly of me?" was the first thing out of his mouth. When Kushina returned his confused look, he continued, "Why would I, the great Kitsune lord of the forest and Kyuubi no Yoko, ever, and let me repeat, EVER!!" he stress as hard as he could, "Date, or even consider a human-kit, let alone ANY kit, period, in that manner?"

Kushina continued to stare at him, utterly confused, "Kit?"

Yoko raised a brow, "Yes, 'kit'," he tilted his head as he looked at her, "I believe the girl about a few months younger then the Kit, no older than three, thus still well within the age of a 'kit'," his inquiring and accusing look continued as he could almost see something crash in the red head's mind.

"Oh," was the only coherent thing that she could make out.

An unusually awkward silence settled in between the two. This time Yoko was the one who was miffed and Kushina was trying to come up with a way to 'apologize'. Luckily they were both saved the trouble.

"Kaa-san?" came an extremely sleepy voice from the hall outside Yoko's door. They both looked to find his broken door slightly ajar and a half-asleep blonde three-year-old standing there in his foggy pajamas. He yawned, "Are you yelling at Yoko-Oji again?" The two adults immediately snapped out of their funk eyeing the boy. Kushina feeling embarrassed about being caught reprimanding Yoko by her son, and the former fox just grinned his foxy grin.

"Yea, Kit, your mom's mad at me for rescuing a cute princess!!" Yoko said with his normal foxy enthusiasm. No matter what he always seemed to perk up at the boy's presence and he loved telling the Kit his stories, and by the way the boy's eyes lit up, he was eager to hear.

Kushina put her face in her hand, "I was not," she gave Yoko a pointed look, far less deadly than anything else she had given him that morning. It seemed even she cheered up unconsciously when her son entered the room. She was crossing her arms, "I was just mad you left Naruto-chan alone last night."

"But Moooooom!!" the boy's whine catching both their ears and making them wish they had earplugs, "Yoko-Oji saved a Princess!! That makes him a hero, doesn't it?!" the excitement in his eyes was contagious and so was the cheer in his voice.

Kushina could tell the boy was siding with the fox, and while that made her feel miffed, she just couldn't say 'no' to him. She sighed in defeat, raising her hand, "Alright I suppose it does," when the boy persisted with his infamous 'puppy-eyes', she couldn't turn down his baby-blues, "Alright, he's off the hook, for now." She said the last part as a warning as she gave Yoko a look.

"YATTA!!" The little blonde boy cheered, Yoko just laughed, while Kushina sighed but smiled.

At that moment the doorbell rang, "I'll get it," Kushina said as she headed towards the door, she turned back to Yoko, "you stay and tell him all about your 'Princess'," the former fox could practically hear the snide remark.

"Troublesome woman," Yoko said under his breath when she left the room.

"Ne, ne," Yoko looked down to find Naruto pulling on his sleeve, giving him a questionable look, "So how cute was this princess?" the boy looked generally curious, even if he no concept of liking girls yet, he had heard plenty of stories from the former fox to know that princesses were always 'cute'.

"Hm?" Yoko gave him a look, "Ah, oh yes, little Hime-chan…" he mused for a moment, getting the little blonde boy riled up as he was wasting time. Yoko couldn't help but grin to himself, the boy was curious, a good quality for a fox, in his opinion. "Well…" he just loved dragging things out, especially for the Kit, something about annoying the kid to no end yet being able to have him hanging on his every word made him grin. The boy was latched to his arm now, waiting for the 'man' to continue, Yoko grinned, "She was absolutely adorable, Kit, why I believe she could have compared to Kushinata-hime!" –_at least when she grows up_- He grinned, now that was definetly a compliment coming from the former fox, who in his time had actually seen the woman who stole Susano-o's heart.

"Whoa!" Naruto was amazed, he had heard the story of how the brave Susano-o had faced a giant eight headed serpent to save this beautiful princess, and Naruto was a boy with a rather active imagination. So to him, if this princess compared to Kushinata-hime, who had a god fall for her, then this princess must be the best looking princess in the land. He grinned a grin that mimicked Yoko's fox-grin, "Then I wanna see her, and I wanna save her from monsters like Susano-o!!"

Yoko grinned, finding the declaration cute, "I'm sure you will see her one day, Kit," Yoko exaggeratedly looked around and motioned Naruto to come closer. The boy grinned, realizing Yoko wanted to tell him a secret; he leaned in close to Yoko. The former fox's grin grew –_oh, Kushina's going to hate me for even suggesting this, even if the Kit doesn't know who she is…_- but that prankster side of the fox wouldn't let him stop, even from Kushina's wrath. He cupped a hand over his mouth near Naruto's ear, "And I bet she'd even want you to be her hero and probably would even marry you."

The boy may not have understood crushes yet, or even know anything about girls, but he knew that marriage was something for adults and had to do with a man and a woman staying together for life, or something like that. The whole concept of him being married to a princess made the boy turn an interesting shade of crimson. Yoko couldn't help laughing at the boy.

"Stop tormenting my son," a rather dry voice came from the door. Both boys looked up to find Kushina standing there holding an envelope. When she realized she had both their attention she waved the envelope in her hand, "Seems your princess' mother wants to see you." Yoko gave her a raised brow so she tossed the invitation at him, which he caught and began reading.

"It says I'm to see her immediately," Yoko read from the note. He was at odds with himself, he wasn't quite sure what to do, he could be polite and go, but that'd probably piss off Kushina, or he could just not go and piss off the Hyuuga even more. –_Decisions, decisions_-

"Then you better not keep her waiting," Kushina seemed to read his thoughts, basically telling him to go, but Yoko could tell from her voice she wasn't pleased one bit. Yoko looked her in the eyes, asking again, and all he saw was a rather determined look telling him to go.

He sighed, "Alright, I'll get ready," he quickly got up and grabbed some cloths before heading towards the bathroom down the hall.

When Naruto heard the water running, he determined he had been quiet enough, "Ne, Kaa-san, can I go?"

Kushina looked back so fast at her son; she could have sworn she heard him wrong, "What?"

The blonde boy tilted his head as he sat on Yoko's bed, he didn't quite understand the look his mother had on her face, nor the odd tone in her voice, "I wanna go with Yoko-Oji to see the Princess and her Mom, can I Kaa-san?" he already had the infamous 'puppy-eyes' working.

"No," his mother's tone was low; almost close to that tone she used on Yoko all the time, but somehow was different. Naruto was surprised, his mother never used that tone on him, and he was even more shocked that his 'puppy-eyes' didn't work. Thinking it was just a fluke, he tried again.

"PWEEEAASSE, can I go?" he was really stressing the cute this time.

"Naruto," he knew he was in trouble if his mom wasn't call him –chan, "you can't go, I forbid you from going over there."

The blue eyed boy looked hurt; he didn't understand why his mom wouldn't let him go, "But, Kaa-san?"

The red haired woman shook her head firmly, "No buts, Naruto, you can't go and that's final." As if to accentuate her point, the both of them heard the front door close, signifying Yoko had already left, and leaving Naruto with no choice but to concede to his mother's decree.

The blonde boy pouted in defeat as his mother turned to leave the room to get breakfast started. He was left alone in his 'uncle's' room. For the first time he had a firm look on his face, and a familiar passion his father had in his eyes. –_One day I'll get to see the Princess, just you wait Kaa-san, and it won't be as bad as you think, everything will be okay, and you won't have to hate them and hurt anymore, I promise_-

* * *

A/N: not much to say, though i think i've made the kids slightly more coherent then normal three-year-olds, but i suppose that doesn't really matter since my 3yr-old cousin kinda talks like Naruto anyway -shrugs-

oh, and 'Kaa-san' is mother, 'Oji' is uncle, and 'Hime' is always translated as 'Princess' simply cause that's the only thing closely resembling the meaning of the word in English...

Please Review, i still have plenty of cookies... chocolate chip and butterscottch...

Till next -Salute-waves- Sayounara, Mina!!

-Ikasury


	3. Queen and Princess

A/N: sooo... yea, what up, been a while, ne?

yes no kidding, long story short, my life really blows at times, and being in constant transit doesn't help, ESPECIALLY when Hyuuga's decide the just simply DO NOT want to work with you... but i kept getting the occasional 'story alert' 'favorites alert' and after reading some really good stories, and taking a moment to myself, and getting up and being by myself this morning, i decided to actually get this done and over with...

i'm not 100-percent on this chappy, though i do like the end, since i wrote that this morning and it sounded good, but the inbetween with Yoko and Kanna was just such a pain in the $$ to write, that woman is just killer to write for, and she'll be back T.T dam-nit...

DIs: I OWN!!..... jack-didly, well Yoko, sorta, and Kanna, not much here needing this thingy, since Hyuuga's '$93/\kz 11 9Rop4z' (and in case that totally didn't come in: 'Speak all proper') so no real cussing and fun stuff like that... although i gotta say Kanna and Hiashi should get a room -snickers-

ENJOY!!

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He was unsure of what to think. His crimson eyes scanned the area he had been led to, it was an empty room, paper screens as walls, tatami mats for floor, and one side open behind him to over look a beautiful and rather picturesque rock garden. –_They even have the stone lantern and orb to praise Izanagi and Izanami…_- he thought as his eyes fell to the objects behind him surrounded by finely raked white gravel, with a few small shrubberies bordering it and providing a small amount of privacy to the open, empty room.

He rubbed his chin as his eyes traced the lines in the sand, his body sitting in a rather 'comfortable' position on the lacquered wood of the hall outside the open room. He had yet to feel inclined to sit on the offered pillows on the tatami mats, seeing as his hostess had yet to show herself. Without thinking he voiced his thoughts to the thought-to-be empty room, "I wonder if they have an Inari shrine?" his eyes remaining on the stone lantern and orb.

"Actually we do," a soft and oddly jovial voice said behind him, followed by an almost nonexistent _**tap**_ as the screen door closed behind her.

Yoko started suddenly, looking behind him surprised, there was only one woman he knew that could sneak up on him, and she was currently fuming at home. As he turned towards his assumed hostess, his crimson eyes widened in surprise and awe. Standing before him, in a rather modest white kimono, stood perhaps one of the most beautiful females he had ever seen in his long existence. Like many of the other Hyuuga he had seen upon entering the complex, she was fair of skin with white eyes, though for some reason he couldn't fathom her eyes seemed so much softer, gentler, almost inviting compared to the rest of her family. Her entire body seemed framed by her long midnight blue hair that for some reason she had allowed to remain down and unbound, despite her class. The oddity about her though, Yoko noted, was she was rather… well defined in his opinion, whereas the other female Hyuuga he had seen seemed to wrap themselves up, and become less, this woman seemed to flaunt her rather well endowed assets. Plus with her airs of seemingly boundless confidence and infinite kindness and compassion merely rolling off of her, it was a wonder he hadn't lost consciousness by her mere presence.

"Kwan-an…" his voice was a low whisper, and his thoughts of her divinity left his lips before he even realized. His crimson eyes following her as she gracefully and surprisingly quietly moved from the door and sat down before him on one of the pillows.

She delicately raised one of her sleeved hands to her mouth as a soft peal of laughter escaped her mouth, seemingly knocking him out of his trance. Her eyes seemed to dance with laughter as she saw him standing stock-still, "gomen, we have a small shrine to her, near the Inari shrine, though I think you would be better off going to the village shrine," the laughter left her eyes, only to be replaced with an abundant content gaze, "The clan doesn't really like others ruining the 'sanctity' of our family shrines, so I'm sorry." There was a thick sarcastic irony in her words that in an odd way was surprising to come from someone of her position.

Yoko stared at her a moment, confusion evident on his face. He quickly shook his head, realizing for the first time that sometime between her entering and sitting down he had apparently stood up. He looked back at his hostess, wondering if this was in fact the Hyuuga matriarch, "Gomen, I didn't mean to say anything rude, it just kinda slipped out," his voice as fluid as was expected from him, a fox-grin finding itself easily on his face.

A gentle smile came to the woman's face, "Please sit ANBU-san, it seems awfully rude of me to keep you standing there," her tone was kind and surprisingly sincere, Yoko expected at least a small amount of 'haughtiness' from a Hyuuga, especially one in her position, but there was none.

He quickly stepped forward into the room, finding his seat on a pillow several feet from the woman. It was unusually quiet, both comfortable yet oddly disturbing at the same time, or at least that's how Yoko felt. His eyes wondered the room again, being reminded that the only things in the sparse area were the human occupants and the pillows that sat on. His crimson gaze again found his 'hostess' sitting rather comfortably in the vacant room, sipping tea he didn't remember seeing there previously. There was just something about this woman, she seemed to radiate content, which was probably the reason he didn't mind the odd silence, yet a look at the empty room brought again that uncomfortable feeling, like he was trespassing. –_Damnit!! I am the Kyuubi!! Or was… STILL!! This shouldn't bother me…_- yet the impending feeling of dread that he was being 'rude' wouldn't leave him. He tussled his hair as a growl escaped his throat, "Gomen, Hyuuga-sama…" his voice was surprisingly subdued, especially to him.

She gave him a content smile, "There is nothing wrong, ANBU-san, you have not done anything worth apologizing for…" her pale eyes looked straight into his, with that same unusual kindness in them revealing her sincerity. Yoko immediately relaxed under that gaze, not even noticing the rather 'unladylike' smirk that appeared on her behind her raised teacup, "you're not the first to say that anyway," she said in an almost rushed whisper.

Yoko's trained ears could hear the sarcasm in that quiet statement; to say the least his curiosity was piqued. He looked at her with a raised crimson brow, "Mind running that by me again?" and with an added bit of his foxy charm, "Why I believe my ears deceive me but I swore there was sarcasm there, milady??"

In an odd gesture the Hyuuga woman closed her eyes and smirked openly, making Yoko wonder if she wasn't really one of his kin here playing a joke, "Gomen, ANBU-san, it seems my manners have slipped, it must be this early morning?" she laughed lightly into her hand, Yoko was starting to like this game they were playing, he too matching her grin. She opened her eyes to look the former fox-lord in the eyes again, a glint of something Yoko couldn't quite recognize was there, "And to answer you ANBU-san, you're not the first to call me 'Kwan-an' upon first meeting me…" she left the end open as if baiting him.

Bait which he gladly took, "Oh?" the former fox said with a heavy exaggeration on the word, "Ne, Hyuuga-sama has been mistaken for the goddess of mercy before?" his mischievous fox grin found his face again, "Ne, Perhaps it's not a coincidence?? Perhaps you are the lady's earthly incarnation for this life?"

The Hyuuga lady's laughter returned with full force at the implications, "Ha ha, why ANBU-san you are too generous…" they both continued laughing at a seemingly secret joke only the two of them understood. After a moment or two the Hyuuga matriarch brought her laughter back under control, though her slight smirk refused to leave her delicate features, "Though I rather doubt that, ANBU-san, otherwise my dear mother would not have named me Kanna."

"Kanna? Plane?" Yoko tilted his head like an animal confused, seemingly studying the woman in front of him. He put his hand to his chin while shifting his head from left to right, "Hmm, Naa, I don't see how you're plain in any way, Hyuuga-sama, though I suppose in the sense of a plane of wood meant to be carved into our lady's form…" he nodded his head, "Yep, that I can totally see!"

Kanna giggled behind her hand at Yoko's comment, "You certainly have an interesting way of thinking, ANBU-san."

"Yoko," he scratched the back of his head, grinning from ear to ear.

She nodded, smile still in place on her lips, "Yes, Yoko," she tilted her head to the side in the slightest bit as if musing, "Though, I think when my mother named me she probably had 'Kannagi' in mind rather than as a simple plane of wood."

"Kannagi?" again Yoko raised a crimson brow. He rested his head in his hand as he thought over the wordplay, "Hmm, I doubt you'd be a medium or a diviner," he eyed her again with one eye open, "Though I can definitely see you as a shrine maiden," he could hear her soft laughter behind her hand at his words, he grinned his cheeky grin, "would certainly make a more devote man out of me to have such beautiful women to see every time I prayed to our dear lady."

"Perhaps," there was laughter in her voice, "But tell me Yoko-san, why would you be praying at a Kwan-an shrine??" her dark brow rose as her pale eyes examined him, "Not to mention an Inari shrine?"

"Hmm?" he gave her a funny look, before looking off into the distance, "Well perhaps I'd like to simply pray for the good health of all the children and beautiful women I meet," a jovial look on his face, and laughter in his voice, but none of it quite reaching his eyes. He looked back at her with a fox grin and his eyes closed, "And perhaps praying to Inari-Ijoufu could help make me into a wealthy, if not lucky man!" he let out a boastful laugh.

Kanna nodded, "Perhaps," her voice was low and thoughtful as she took another sip of her tea, allowing Yoko time to settle himself. She had watched him carefully, and while this game of theirs was fun, she could see where the mask ended and the truth began.

"Eh-heh-heh," he scratched the back of his head slightly embarrassed, ruffling his crimson locks, "Gomen, Hyuuga-sama, I think I got a bit carried away." –_Yea, I've probably made an ass of myself…_- was all he could think as she continued to drink her tea.

"Kanna is fine," her calm voice came from behind her glass.

He looked at her funny, eyebrow raised, curious and suspicious, "as in 'Kanna-san' or 'Kanna-sama'?"

A small laugh escaped her lips as she set her cup down, "As in just 'Kanna', Yoko-san."

He gave her his cheeky fox grin, "Just 'Kanna'?" his crimson gaze questioned her again only to find her nod with a gentle smile. He mused rubbing his chin, "I dunno, is it really proper for someone such as yourself to go without '-sama'?"

She shook her head, "I get 'Kanna-sama' all day and night here; is it so wrong for me to ask a _dear_ friend to simply call me by my name?"She had folded her arms under her considerable assets and seemed to be angrily pouting; Yoko could barely contain his snicker.

"Hehe, I dunno," he continued to grin cheekily until she gave him a rather pointed look. –_It's certainly far kinder then any glare I get from Kushina, but I still wouldn't want it…_- he put his hands up in mock defeat, "Now, now, no need for the patented 'Hyuuga Death-glare'," he said with about as much earnest as a comedian, while Kanna made a gesture that was about the Hyuuga equivalent of rolling one's eyes. His grin remained, "though I have two conditions?"

A dark brow rose, "Oh? And what would those be Yoko-san?" she decided she could continue to play along.

"One," he held up one finger, "If I get the almighty privilege of calling the elegant and beautiful lady of the Hyuuga house simply 'Kanna'," he paused to see the look she was giving him, "Then allow me, my dear lady," he bowed in a rather dramatic fashion, eliciting a small laugh from his audience, "this humble being, this lowly vassal, the honor of being referred to by _such prestige_," the sarcasm here was rather thick but still held the lady of the Hyuuga in a bit of a giggle-fit, "as by my mere and simple title 'Yoko'," he was in a deep bow before her, and as if something just struck him he raised his head, "Just 'Yoko' if you don't mind?"

"Not at all Yoko," a laughter in her eyes as she held a sleeved arm before her mouth in an attempt to hinder further laughter from the former fox's rather dramatic prose, "Though now I wonder if I should ask your second condition?"

He seemed to immediately perk up at the question, Kanna swore if he were an animal he'd be wagging his tail furiously, "I'm so delighted you asked, Kanna," he moved to sit right in front of her, less than a foot separating them, as he sat in a thinker's pose staring deeply at her as if trying to gauge something. Kanna took it as a playful challenge, and Yoko learned quickly you don't win in staring contests against Hyuugas. After blinking for a few seconds he went back to looking her straight in the eyes, "Why did you earlier call me your 'dear friend'?"

After all this awkwardly buildup tension, his question was so simple and said in such a plain wondering manner that the Lady Hyuuga burst out laughing about five seconds after he said it. Yoko was surprised to say the least, and practically jumped a foot in the air, whereas he was now leaning back staring at the Hyuuga matriarch like she was a crazy woman. Kanna waved her hand, "Gomen," trying desperately to quiet her laughter, she took a deep breath before continuing, "it's just… that question…" she turned to the side stifling some more laughter behind her sleeve.

Yoko's crimson brow was up again; "Was that such a strange thing to ask? Especially since we've just met?" he was definetly looking at her like she was completely off her rocker. –_There is definitely something off about these Hyuuga if this is their clan leader's wife??_-

She waved him off, "Gomen, it wasn't the question, just how you 'posed' it," she had finally stopped her laughter but her eyes when she looked at him were still full of the jovial delight. Yoko's brow only rose more along with his obvious suspicion. Kanna merely crossed her arms again, keeping a playful smirk on her face, "Is it so wrong to call you my friend, we've seemed to get along quite well so far?"

The red headed man just looked at her oddly, "It's strange to hear people seek to be my friend at all, but for such nobility?" he made a gesture of flicking imaginary lint off his sleeve, "Quite preposterous, nope not a normal thing…"

Her raised sleeve hid a gentle smile, and her lavender eyes spoke of a playful calm, "is it so strange a thing to be friends with a man who saved my young daughter's life the night of her birthday?"

Yoko looked down a moment, his dramatic nature quelled by his embarrassment. With their playful game of conversation he'd forgotten exactly why he was sent here in the first place. His crimson eyes raised enough to garner a look of the Hyuuga matriarch, a strange and gentle gaze in her eyes and her entire being speaking of gratitude. –_She is honest, a far stranger thing then I'd expect from someone such as her…_- "you give this meager being too much praise for such a trifle matter as my own job…" he spoke with eyes downcast, a part of him wishing she'd stop looking at him with such gratitude. –_with the things I've done… I don't deserve it…_-

"Trifle?" her inquiry held more bite in it then any words previous stated, "I do not see how this is just a 'trifle' thing you've done Yoko," her voice was calm and soft, as it had been, but there was something about it, behind her normal tone there was a sudden bite, a hardened steel that pressed the words forward cutting them deeper into Yoko then he realized, "you, Yoko, have just saved the heiress of the Hyuuga clan from being kidnapped by enemy ninja who masqueraded as our allies," a certain flame came to her eyes, a raw rage behind the kind and gentle lavender that mesmerized Yoko and he couldn't look away, "charlatans that would steal away a three year old girl for what her blood carries, I don't even want to consider what they had planned to do with her…" Kanna's hand was balled into a fist, and Yoko wondered how angry she really was for such an open display of hostility to seep out of her thick layer of benevolence.

He made to say something back to the woman, to comfort or ease her mind, to show his gratitude for her praise or deny it again, to agree with her on the bastard's lack of spine, to say **something!!** Anything at all, but as his mouth moved to open, her eyes locked with his and whatever thought he'd had left him completely.

"Most importantly, Yoko," her eyes fixed on him, that hardened steel that was in her voice before was there, but it wasn't cruel, only tempered and finely wielded, "You saved **MY** daughter from that fate, and any others of my family that may have resulted from this," there was a moment she looked at him with her clear lavender eyes, and the next she closed her eyes and bowed her head towards the former king of foxes.

Crimson eyes widened at the implication. The bow, while small and seemingly insignificant, and barely more than a simple nod, was actually one of the highest regards a being could give another. He had given that same bow to his archrival, the Yondaime, out of deep respect to the human, and here was a woman, wife of the clan head of the Hyuuga, giving the same acknowledgement to him, the now meager ANBU, a villain in disguise, a slaughtering carnivore who had once tore through this village, was being giving the highest respects from this woman whom he compared to a Kami.

He quickly closed his eyes, "Please don't," his low voice barely above a whisper. He could feel her questioning gaze upon him as she had heard those words, his fist clinched in response and his face looked away, "If you knew what I really am, you would have wished I'd not laid a hand on your precious daughter…" his voice barely came out and sounded oddly defeated as he refused to look back at this woman who seeked to call him friend.

Kanna watched as the emotions played across the former kitsune's face, the entire conversation before this point was a means to see the extent of his mask and find the cracks within it. Her lavender eyes gazed deeply at the man in front of her, "If you truly thought so lowly of yourself, you wouldn't have done as you did."

Yoko felt his ears lower, if he still had them that is, not out of embarrassment or being caught but out how this woman made him feel. –_It's like she can see completely through me…_- his crimson eyes risked a gaze at her strong pale-lavender ones –_Her eyes…_- he was mesmerized again, by the conviction and honesty he found there. No accusing, no damning, no cursing, just an honest, just gaze. He looked away again, was it shame he felt? "Please, I'm not what you think," his voice broke a moment before his eyes sought hers again, "If you knew-"

"That you were once the Kyuubi no Kitsune?" her honest, just gaze remained on him as his ruby eyes tripled in size.

He was completely shocked, he certainly hadn't expected that response, and even more so the look in her eyes. –_They're still the same…_- It was as if this information didn't change anything, like it didn't matter that he was the creature that had decimated her clan three years ago, like he was just a normal man in front of her, despite his most unusual past. His dumbfounded look continued and the only coherent thing he could mutter was a shell-shocked, "h-how?"

She actually smiled, "I'm the clan head's wife," she said, as if that answered everything. A smirk passed her lips as she folded her arms, "There's nothing he knows that I don't."

For a moment Yoko just stared at the woman. Then he thought back to those council meetings long ago when that gimp-bastard Danzo had put him up to that gaggle of imbeciles as a new super-powered pet, and how the Sandaime had saved his ass from it all. He racked his brain for a moment and remembered a certain long black-haired man with white-eyes sitting near the Sandaime, fingers tented and eyes like stone and quiet and still as a mountain as the others bickered and argued. A playful foxy smirk played at the corner of Yoko's mouth as he remembered the look of pure unadultered rage on that same man's face the night before. –_And this woman is his wife…_- he thought as his eyes came back to hers, smirk still in place, "I thought only the clan-heads were allowed to know this, no one else, even their _wives_."

A small laugh escaped her lips, oddly different from her previous ones, "it's imperative he not keep me out of any loops," a hint of mischief crept into her eyes as she looked into Yoko's, "else, he may have some trouble at the next council meeting without my…" she smirked, "_advice_."

Yoko raised a crimson brow, "I'll not ask," he scratched his chin, "Though I'll take a wild guess and merely '_wonder_' that the real brain behind the mighty clan Hyuuga is indeed in this room?" at her light laughter a foxy grin found itself on his face. –_She is certainly an interesting female…_- he crimson eyes studied her –_though, I wonder what she really thinks... I must know_- "Kanna," his voice was flat and quickly caught said woman's attention. He stared into her eyes; he had to know, "Why don't you hate me?"

She started a moment and just looked at him, it was almost as if she was silently asking 'are you for real?', and he could tell she was half a second away from laughing if he was merely joking. A moment later and he could tell she understood she was serious; she sighed and closed her eyes as if tired. She placed the cup in her hand on the floor and moved to sit in a more 'formal' position than before. She nodded, perhaps to herself he didn't really know, before her soft voice found his ears, "How could I?"

Yoko blinked, "How could you?" he tilted his head to the side utterly confused, "How _couldn't_ you?!" he hadn't even realized he even said his thought out loud, but quickly figured it out when she nodded again, her intent eyes looking at him as if the statement was obvious. –_How couldn't she?!_- He raved again in his mind –_After what I did, DONE! How could anyone not despise me!! _**I**_ despise ME!!_- his inner thoughts must have played obviously on his external demeanor because a moment later he felt a gentle hand on his shoulder, kind, caring, accepting, and in no way looking to harm him. His crimson eyes looked up, past his same colored locks and found her gentle, motherly pale-lavender eyes, a look of complete understanding on her gentle face. He could almost feel his slited pupils shrink as his thought processes came to an abrupt halt, "I-I don't understand?" his eyes were like that of a child's seeking answers after seeing bloody war, and hers were the only ones that could give him an answer.

"Yoko," again her voice was soft and soothing, apparently well versed in dealing with delicate subjects, "I could never hate you for what happened," his panicked eyes looked into hers only finding complete honesty, she smiled lightly as she squeezed his shoulder, "asking for a reason why it happened, trying to find some logic behind it, it's like…" she paused trying to find the appropriate comparison, "it's like asking Kami-sama why there are rainbows on cloudy nights even though everyone says there can't be," she smiled widely when she noticed a certain joy come to the young man's eyes at her analogy, "I learned long ago there are things in life that can't be explained, and many that can be, and there are a lot of things we humans are just not supposed to know," her eyes lowered a moment, thinking or in despair Yoko wasn't sure, "Kami and demons, Mononoke, Ayakashi, and Mushi, and a million other things are out of our understanding," she looked back into his eyes with a smile in hers, "The affairs of those things are beyond us humans, beyond our control or understanding, and your former self, as a Youma, was beyond us," she squeezed his shoulder in a comforting way before standing up and walking towards her former seat, "Whatever your reasoning, Kyuubi-sama, I cannot fault you for it, as a being higher than us humans, I can only assume we did something to offend you, and were punished justly for it," she looked back at him, almost wondering, "Even if you seemed to have paid your own price for it as well."

Yoko stared in awe. This woman, this _Human_, had such knowledge, and was also capable of such a level of compassion and understanding it put him and all his former kind to shame. –_And she spoke my old title with such respect… not an ounce of malice or doubt… just understanding_- Yoko felt in that moment if this woman was indeed a Kami, he'd be glad to spend the rest of his days building shrines to her and worshiping her and her teachings.

"Kanna," Yoko spoke her name with a strained voice as he gazed at her calm visage. He nodded his head, then with practiced ease sat straight on his knees, placed his hands in front of him on the floor and bent forward in a low, respecting bow. He heard a small gasp, and could feel the Hyuuga woman before him inch towards him, about to tell him to raise or otherwise, Yoko grinned to himself and spoke before she had the chance, "Do not tell me to 'get up'," he felt her pause as his crimson eyes scanned the floor an inch from them, "You have no idea how much your words affect me, their kind serenity, honesty, and most of all…" Yoko raised his head to meet her eyes, "their unsurpassed forgiveness," he returned his gaze to the lacquered floor, "and it is because of this you have my undying respect Hyuuga Kanna, because you have forgiven me, even though I have yet to forgive myself…" he spoke the last part low, not so to prevent his hostess from hearing, but out of the shame he felt over his actions those three years ago.

"Fine," her voice was calm as she breathed out a sigh at the former-fox's actions, "I won't tell you to get up," a small grin found the side of her mouth as she considered her next words, "although, as a friend, I will tell you that if you stay like that for too long your back will get stuck like that," the jovial mirth in her voice at her warning was obvious, it became even more apparent when Yoko banged his head on the floor out of shock.

And naught a moment later both were laughing loudly.

Yoko pulled himself up off the floor, sitting noticeably straighter, with a doubtful smirk on his face. His crimson eyes watched the lady Hyuuga before him, as she gained control of her laugh, and sat simply, with a slightly smug, yet friendly, smile on her small lips. He shook his head, "How do you do it?" her pale orbs eyed him telling him to elaborate, he made a slight chuckle, "How is it one moment I can be emotionally moved by sheer words and the next," he laughed, "banging my head on the floor because I'm laughing too hard?" a playful smirk played at his lips as he eyed her, "I thought Hyuugas weren't supposed to be cheerful or empathic?"

Kanna tilted her head lightly as she laughed lightly at the ANBU's actions, his own words threading a delicate irony with his demeanor, her pale-lavender orbs watched him closely, picking up on the habits she'd already learned from their meeting, and noting the obvious playful smirk following his sarcasm. She laughed lightly behind her hand while smiling openly, "Flattery will get you nowhere, ANBU-san," her eyes met his, a playful smile in them as well, but nothing like the smirk that rose on his face, along with a crimson brow.

"Oh?" he said in an almost 'innocent' manner, "I did not realize I was giving such flattery to a prestigious woman as yourself," there was a pause and playful spark entered his eyes, as his old kitsune habits rekindled. He made a play of looking bored and inspecting his hands, "Had I known," there was only a moment where his fiery eyes met her confused pearl-like ones, and in the next moment Kanna found the former-kitsune holding her in a rather dramatic, and intimate way: with one hand supporting her as she was somewhat forced to lean back while his other hand held one of hers close to his chest, while his smirking face was close, but not _too_ close, as if to say it was all a joke, "I would have quite flattered this lady more _'appropriately'_…" he wriggled his eyebrow in what _should_ have been suggestive, but the way he did it only resulted in the lady of the house laughing at him some more.

"As I said," Kanna began, while removing her hand from his and gave him a smirk of her own, one that while laughing at his antics was outright refusing their meaning, "Flattery will get you nowhere, ANBU-san."

"Ahh, Kanna-chan," he gave her a foxy grin, closing his eyes completely, "But it's still fun to try!" he quickly righted their position and removed himself from her person, but remained sitting nearby, and with her rolled eyes and his cheeky grin it was obvious that it was all simply in jest.

The Hyuuga matriarch made a play of 'fixing' her sleeves while shaking her head, "Had my husband seen such a display," she laughed lightly as she spoke envisioning what would occur, "not even your former glory would have saved you from his wrath." She had a knowing smile, with her eyes closed as she continued 'adjusting' her wardrobe, to which the former fox-lord simply gave her a questioning glace with one brow raised as he lounged near the Hyuuga matron. It was only a moment later her smile widened only the smallest bit, and Yoko only noticed it by proximity as suddenly a red-flag was raised in the back of his mind, "Isn't that correct, my dear Husband?"

There was a distinct _**Tap!**_ As the screen door behind them was all but thrown open, and had Yoko been any lesser creature he was sure he'd be rolling over on his back and whimpering with his belly exposed from the sheer aggressive air around the tall, long-haired, white-eyed man that entered the room. Then again, Yoko had been the Kyuubi for a number of millennia, even in his current state, the rage of a mere human, no matter their ranking, just didn't frighten him… unless they were Kushina, but that's a completely different story. He glace behind his hostess to find the glaring and downright irate eyes of the lord of the Hyuuga, Byakuugan flaring. The former-fox made a slight wave and grinned, "Hello Hyuuga-sama!"

If the Hyuuga lord's glare could get any more frightful, Yoko was sure he'd be dead.

Despite the rather obvious torrential rage eking out of the white-eyed man towards the former fox, he made no move to maim or kill him. Instead he seemed to glare a moment more before taking a glance to his wife, who seemed to simply sip tea with her eyes closed while the male posturing was commencing, completely ignoring that she 'technically' started it. There was a moment, and Yoko was positive that the twitches in the man's white eyes was some form of Hyuuga telepathy, as an unheard conversation seemed to take place between the two before him, silently and only a moment, because in the next moment Lord Hiashi had deactivated his Byakuugan and merely crossed his arms while putting back into place his prided 'stone face', "Wife," was that a slight growl in the man's voice? "Might I inquire as to what this…" he paused while gazing a stern eye over the former-fox, this time calculating instead of deadly, it took all of Yoko's highly trained nerves not to squirm, "… 'Man', is doing here, with you?" the stress on the word 'man' and the pause did not go unnoticed, nor the odd look he threw his wife at the end.

Instead of feeling insulted by the undercurrent the Hyuuga head was obviously making with his wording, Yoko took this moment to keep quiet and observed the two. –_There is something strange about the way they speak to each other, Hiashi is overly aggressive, while Kanna is overly calm… perhaps it is merely my presence that is agitating him?_- Yoko grinned slightly at the possible meaning, that someone like _Him_ could make a man like Hiashi feel threatened, it was laughable, though the fox-ANBU wouldn't dare do so in front of the man.

"Yes, dear Husband, you may," her voice was light, and Yoko could hear a tone to it that was absent when she was previously speaking to him, it was playful, yet oddly controlling. She sipped her tea, this move being oddly recurrent now that her husband was in the room, and Yoko could almost swear the woman was purposely teasing her agitated mate, "He is my guest, and-"

Sadly she was cut off by a rather aggressive voice, "Then I feel it is time this 'guest' leave," Hiashi somehow managed to keep his tone down, though the undercurrent of a growl was rather obvious. A small part of the former fox's ego tripled in size. Hiashi's gaze was hard on the former fox, "I believe you've outstayed your welcome, ANBU."

"Hiashi," the voice was light, but there it was again, that oddly commanding tone, Yoko watched as the Hyuuga lord went slightly rigid as he turned his gaze towards his wife. She glanced back at him, over her shoulder, and while the red-haired man knew this move to be 'enticing' under the right circumstances, this was not it; in fact it almost seemed her pale-lavender gaze was chastising her husband. Another silent conversation passed between the two's eyes, Hiashi being the first to look away, seeming losing the stare-off, while she sipped her tea again, "Yoko is _my_ guest, Husband, he is free to leave when he pleases, or **I**request it," another glance over her shoulder, "understand?" if her voice wasn't so 'nice' Yoko was sure he'd be afraid of the woman.

–_These Hyuugas and their strange mannerisms…_- his crimson eyes went from the woman to the male Hyuuga, curious about his response to being rather obviously put-down by such a gentle and nice woman. –_If only I had some popcorn, this is better than a movie!_-

Hiashi recrossed his arms, hiding them in his long sleeves, as his white-eyes drifted away from his rather commanding wife, "I understand," he dared a glance back at his wife, Yoko could tell from his position the woman was holding back a smirk, it was only visible in her eyes, and Hiashi must have seen it because his seemed to… 'pout'? He released a brief sigh, before hardening his gaze on the red-haired man, "although, I still do not appreciate this," a brief glace to his wife, "not being informed of rather 'informal' meetings between my wife and…" the Hyuuga lord seemed to throw decorum out the window as he simply glared at Yoko. The fox-ANBU did not appreciate the scrutiny one bit and merely glared back.

The male posturing was halted by the sound of light laughter between them, Kanna hid her smile behind one sleeve as she giggled at the two, "why dear Husband, I would almost think you didn't 'trust' your own wife?" again she looked at the man from over her shoulder, this time rather obviously playful instead of chastising, "is this true, Hiashi-kun?" she raise a thin brow at her Husband.

Yoko could barely hold back the snicker at the slightest dusting of pink on the Hyuuga lord's face. –_This woman, she most certainly __**must**__ be a vixen in disguise, I don't think a human alive could pull that off and live…_- he watched as the Hyuuga lord merely glanced away from the woman, as she went back to laughing behind her sleeve. Yoko smiled, for a moment, he was reminded of his own mate from long ago, and while it hurt him to think of her, and the memories of her death it brought up, he couldn't help but chuckle slightly at the two for the reminder. –_Who am I kidding, with the way these two are, there isn't a man or woman alive that could separate them, willingly at least…_- he smirked, his foxish nature coming back to him as he glanced at the two, "If this is how you two act normally," Yoko glanced to the side, a fox-like smirk finding his face as he got the two's attention, "Then I can only imagine how you act in the bedroom," he looked at them slyly through narrow eyes, and was greatly rewarded with a dusting on Kanna's face as she hide a smirk behind her hand, while Hiashi seemed to turn completely red from his blush… or rage, the former-fox wasn't quite sure.

"Such insolence!!" definitely must have been rage, "How dare you presume you have any right to say such things in **THIS** house," the Hyuuga lord took a rather menacing step closer to the calmly sitting ANBU, his eyes white-fury as he practically growled at the man.

Moving faster than either male seemed to notice, Kanna quickly placed herself between Yoko and her husband, seemingly stopping the potential juggernaut with a simply hand on his chest, "Hiashi," her voice was sweet, and seemingly designated only for her husband, and when his rather angry flaring Byakuugan eyes were set on her she continued, "calm down," while said in a soothing voice the Hyuuga lord's body seemed to react as if it was a command by Kami itself. The man instantly relaxed, deactivated his bloodline, and while overall calm again still threw Yoko a disapproving glare. A gentle slim hand found its way to the side of the man's face and turned it so his white-eyes were looking into her own, "There is no need to act like that, it was only a joke," she smiled at her husband.

He seemed to pout, in a Hyuuga-ish way, and Yoko wouldn't have believed it if he wasn't standing right there in front of the two, "He still has no right to speak such, especially in front of you," he crossed his arms again while his wife seemed to giggle at his chivalrous tone.

She patted him on the arm, "Husband, if Yoko is anything like his former glory I rather expect such comments," she looked back at the former-Kyuubi, a small smirk on her face as she held onto her stern husband's arm, "In fact I'm rather surprised he's 'controlled' himself so well, despite a fox's nature."

Yoko merely raised a crimson brow, "You speak of such things so lightly, milady," he made a play of ruffling his jacket while Hiashi seemed content to just glare at him. He glanced back, an _almost _bored expression playing on his face, "if I had known such comments would be met with such…" he glanced at Hiashi with a smirk in his crimson eyes, "… 'reactions' I would have done my duty and 'entertained' you earlier, but alas," he took on a thoughtful expression, "I thought it would have been too 'rude', especially for only our first meeting," he gave the Hyuuga pair a fox grin, which was responded with a giggle and a glare.

Kanna futilely hid her laughter behind her sleeve, while she looked between her husband and her friend, "Now Yoko, I'd much rather prefer my friends to be casual when visiting," she smiled openly as she caught her husband's deepening scowl, "even if my _dear_ Husband is somewhat, disapproving…" she continued laughing while Hiashi next to her seemed to deflate some by his wife's putdown. It seemed to Yoko the man absolutely refused to glare at his wife, so is perpetual ire found him glaring at the former-fox again, as if it was his fault for his wife's disapproval.

The red-head just smiled, "well I do appreciate the thought, Kanna," Yoko made a play at looking at his watch, something he kept around only really for missions and not keeping his own time, but now was a convenient time as any to depart with it as an excuse, "My, my look at the time, it seems I've outstayed my welcome," he gave a cheeky fox-smile to the Hyuuga pair, while Hiashi just continued glaring at him as if to confirm what he said. The fox ANBU gave a jovial smile to his new friend, completely ignoring her husband, "I've quite enjoyed my stay, Lady Hyuuga, but I fear if I stay any longer your Husband may maim me from jealousy, and there's no telling what my landlady would do to me if I were any later…" Yoko shivered at the thought; one yelling-out by Kushina in one day was enough for him.

Kanna lightly giggled at the prospect, "no, I don't suppose keeping her waiting would be very good, for your health, or our diminishing reputation with her," Yoko gave her a look at her unusual choice of words, but the Hyuuga matriarch made no indication she was going to elaborate. Yoko's crimson eyes took a glance to her husband, and the man for once was looking away from him, it was definitely odd behavior. He was brought back to Kanna as she continued, "I wish you safely back home, Yoko, and you are always welcomed here," she made a backward glance to Hiashi, he seemed to grumble something Yoko didn't catch and looked away, seemingly giving his consent.

The former-fox simply smiled at the pair, "Why, I am grateful for the invitation," he gave a fox smile to Kanna and tilted his head to her while she returned the favor. The tall red-headed man made towards the door with no impediments other then the continued glare from the Hyuuga patriarch. He opened the poorly abused door and looked back at the two with a cheeky grin, "Don't do anything I wouldn't Hiashi-kun, I might be back soon!" with a smirk, light laughter from Kanna, and threatening killer intent and death-glare from Hiashi, Yoko left the two Hyuuga and quickly walked down the hall towards the main gates of the Hyuuga compound.

As soon as the door was closed and that 'Fox' was gone, Hiashi let out an unbridled growl. He hated the man, sure the beast was bad, but the human was probably worse, and he had his eyes on **HIS** wife, there was no way in the nine hell's he was going to let that 'Man' come back into his home, not unless he was there to receive a full-powered Jyuuken strike to the heart.

"Hiashi," cooed a delicate voice next to the angered Hyuuga. Kanna placed her slim hand on her husband's broad shoulder, to get his attention away from the obvious pain and torture he was scheming for the next time Yoko came over. She liked the man, he was decent, honest, and held a lot of guilt for what his former self had done, and she wasn't going to let that affect her or her family, "Hiashi," she said his name with slightly more force, and tightened her hold on his shoulder.

"I don't like him," was the man's short reply. His white eyes continued to burn a hole in the wall where the bastard had left.

"Hiashi, he can't help what he is," she was serious, and translated well in her voice. Her husband had been run ragged that night, many Hyuuga were lost three years ago, even she had been close to being gone that night, along with their daughter. She understood well that Hiashi may harbor some ill-will towards him over the incident, but she wasn't going to allow anymore persecution to a human for what his past life did, "you can't hate him for what happened three years ago; he's not the Kyuubi anymore."

Hiashi paused in his seething hatred for the man and looked at his wife with surprised eyes, he hadn't even considered what that man '_was_', all he cared about was what he was doing '_now_', "Wife, what are you talking about?" she narrowed her eyes at him, giving her own version of the 'Hyuuga-glare' she reserved only for him. Hiashi took a step back and faced his wife, "Kanna, I don't dislike him because of what he was, I could care less," he clinched his fists and glared back at the spot Yoko had left, "I despise the little runt for thinking he could hit-on **MY** wife and get away with it!" in the midst of his seething and loathing of the man, Hiashi's revenge-seeking mind was cut off by his wife's laughter. He turned back to look at her, "Kanna?"

The Hyuuga matriarch just waved her hand at her husband a minute as she tried to rake in her laughter, not very good by any means, "Haha… Hiashi… hehe," she took an extra minute to try forming coherent sentences before smirking, in a devilishly seductive way, at her husband, "You actually think his little antics would sway me, dear?" oh the way she flitted her eyelashes at him was just decidedly evil.

Hiashi was hard pressed to keep his Hyuuga calm face when his wife did that, hell the man _was_ human. The only visible evidence that her antics affected him was the bobbing of his Adam's apple as he swallowed hard. He crossed his arms, pouting in his own way, as he purposely look away from his rather experienced wife, "It's not **you** I'm worried about, it's him…" he glared at the door for good measure.

Kanna smiled gently at her husband's response, even if he didn't see it. She raised her delicate hand up to his strong chin, turning his stern face to her with little resistance, making their white-eyes meet, "So you trust me?" the male Hyuuga gave a quick nod, all too honest with his answer, a playful little light played in her eyes, "Even with him?" Hiashi's eyes narrowed only the slightest, and had Kanna not been looking straight at him she doubt even she would have noticed. Her pleasant little smile tweaked into a smirk as the hand on her husband's face trailed his jaw line, "We owe him you know," her eyes went o his again, showing how serious she was about this, "Not just our daughter's life, but your brother's as well…" her thumb and forefinger held the man's chin, ensuring he understood what she was saying.

Hiashi's eyes lowered slightly, if the sadness in his eyes wasn't so plentiful Kanna would have found it cute. His larger hand delicately wrapped around her wrist, removing her hand from his chin, and bringing the back of it to his lips, "I know," he said softly against her soft skin, before placing a chaste kiss on the back of it. His eyes looked into hers again, finding the light dusting of pink on her cheeks adorable, "Those old bustards would have sent him instead of me if I had killed that man," being the clan head, Hiashi was very familiar with politics, and he knew the Kumo-nins well enough to know what they would have asked for compensation for their '_innocent_' leader's brutal murder, and he knew the clan council well enough that they wouldn't hesitate the throw his identical twin brother's head in his place. Hiashi knew his wife was smart enough to know this as well, along with everything else that would have been caused by his brother's death, relations in the '_family_' were strained as it was, Hizashi's death would have been another nail in the coffin. He could see it in her calculating eyes that she had thought even farther ahead, both in what could happen now, thanks to that bastard-Fox, and what could have been had he lost his temper with his daughter's kidnapper. How he loved this conniving woman, "You knew this would happen?"

A playful and commanding spark flared in Kanna's eyes, "…maybe," she crept ever so closer to him, removing her hand from his and trailing it along his broad shoulders, down his trim chest, her devilish smirk back on her face as she watched her husband's white-eyes, "after all, now we can use this to _our _advantage…"

Hiashi knew what she meant, his cunning little wife, she planned to annoy the clan council as much as possible with this arrangement. Kanna had been a thorn in the old bastard's sides since she was born, and Hiashi knew she wasn't going to quit any time soon, with Yoko, one of the Hokage's **personal** ANBU around, being friend's with her, and potentially their immediate family, he knew she was planning to make those bastard's sweat and think twice before trying anything that would lead to usurping power from him, her husband, current leader of the clan. She knew how to manipulate delicate situations, and always how to surprise him when he least expected it. Hiashi could only mentally smirk –_She's probably been dying for a chance like this, not to mention having a million other plans and implications from this situation… but still…_-

The Hyuuga patriarch wrapped his strong arms around the smaller woman, leaning close to her, "I still don't like him…" she simply responded by giving him a dazzling effervescent smile before kissing him wholly, almost assuring him that she was **only** his.

* * *

"AHH-AHH-AHHHH…" Yoko breathed in deeply trying to stop the impending sneeze, he sighed when the tingling in the back of his nose stopped. "That was close," he felt weird making such a loud sound in the eerily quiet house, he could feel people moving about, almost a small army, but no matter where he walked in the place it was as if it was empty. –_This is just weird_-

The red-head finally found his way to the main door, and no sooner had he stepped foot out the door than, "AAHHHCHOOOO…" he sneezed rather loudly. He sniffed in, raising his arm to whip away any snot on his face, "_Somebody_ is talking about me," he said stressing the first word, practically knowing who it was. The fox-ANBU scrunched his face up like a punk –_I swear those two need to get a room… oh wait, they are in one_- he grinned while mentally laughing at the antics of the Hyuuga lead pair. –_If this was a pack, I don't think I'd have a problem leading them, especially that woman_- "Hehe…" he lightly giggled to himself as he stepped out off the deck onto the small path that lead to the gates of the Hyuuga compound.

He didn't make it five steps before he got the distinct feeling he was being watched. Okay, so he'd had that feeling since he entered the place, it _was_ after all filled with a family of people that could see in 360-degree vision AND through walls, but he figured they'd stop watching him since he left the house, and this feeling was someone a bit too obvious for a trained shinobi. Yoko extended the range of his senses, trusting his hearing and smell over anything else, while he continued walking like nothing was wrong. What he found made the man grin. –_It seems my admirer is here, best not to disappoint_- without making a single hand-sign and in a split second he made a kagebushin and switched with it. To any onlooker it seemed he was only walking out of the compound.

And that is exactly what little Hyuuga Hinata saw, a strange man in black with long red-hair walking out of her home. She had heard her mother say she invited someone special over, and she could meet the man if she wanted, little three-year-old Hinata was a bit too nervous to meet anyone outside her family face-to-face, and after last night, all she wanted to do was hide, so her mother didn't mind when the little girl declined the offer. Her mother had smiled at her anyway, in that gentle smile she only got from her mother; it was comforting for the young heiress to know her mom didn't mind what she did. All she had gotten all morning was questions, questions, and more questions, so her mother giving her the option of getting out and being normal for a short while was a godsend to the little girl. But, even despite this, and her saying she didn't want to meet the man her mother invited, that didn't stop the little girl from watching him as he entered and left the compound.

Hinata didn't sense anything particularly bad about the man, even though she did notice a kind of… _reluctance_? From her family members that dealt with him, like they knew something about him she didn't. When the little girl had asked Sayoko, the one who had escorted the strange red-head to the viewing room to speak with her mother about him, she branch woman simply shook her head and said she should just go out and play, and not worry about her parent's affairs. While Hinata had no idea what the maid had meant, she thanked her all the same and went out the front door to maybe catch a glimpse of him when he left. So, taking a seat under a tree off to the side of the courtyard, little Hinata had sat and waited.

After awhile she saw members of her family going in and out of the house, mostly out, like her uncle Hizashi and cousin Neji going on some errand, or going in, like her father coming home since he left last night after putting her back to bed with her mother. No one seemed to really notice that she was there, just sitting and watching the door, but she doubted they would really mind since she was still within the walls of her home, and for some reason she felt much more comfortable off to the side unnoticed then everyone still looking down at her and asking questions about what happened last night.

All she remembered was going to bed and waking up outside in her father's arms before being sent back to bed once they got home. Well that was all she remembered _clearly_, there were other things she wasn't all that sure of, like something black covering up the moon from her window, blackness, hearing someone scream, and being held by a 'man' with a smiling kitsune mask speaking to her gently. For all the little three-year-old knew, that man **was** a kitsune, her mother had told her stories about all kinds of creatures, some that were good and bad, and how some kitsune actually helped people in danger, while others often cause the danger. She wasn't sure which to believe, she saw a man being held by one kitsune, and the other that held her said to look away and go back to sleep, that is was all just a bad dream. His voice was gentle and soothing, not as much as her father's, but comforting enough that she just went back to sleep in his arms until she woke up in her father's some time later. The little girl began to doubt that really happened, because every time she said a kitsune came and saved her someone old man would get a sour look and say 'that's impossible' or 'those are wicked creatures' and on and on, so she began to doubt it herself.

But that didn't matter right now, the stranger had finally stepped out of the house, sneezing really, Really, REALLY loud, that it startled her and she jumped behind the tree before she knew what it was. She looked out around the side of the tree and saw him leaving, his black outfit reminding her of the kitsune, along with his long red hair, but that was just a man, right? And he just kept walking, not even noticing her, so it couldn't be him, could it?

"What'cha looking at Hime-chan?" came smooth voice from behind her.

The little Hyuuga stiffened, she recognized that term as she one the kitsune used to tell her to look away, and that voice was oddly similar, could it be him? She slowly, ever so slowly turned around, unsure as to what she'd find, a kitsune, or another kidnapper? Either way, she'd know. She managed to turn around all the way, getting a good look at a young man crouching behind her, in a familiar black outfit and long red hair done in what looked like multiple ponytails, with two coming down over his shoulders showing the rings tied to the ends. The little girl gulped as her eyes went to his face, it was darker than anyone in her family's and he had shaggy red hair surrounding it with these little funny lines under his ears along his jaw, she wondered if they were scars, she had seen a few on her mother and father, and especially her uncle, but none as dark as the ones on this man's face. She only had a moment to see the stranger's eyes, a strangely dark yet bright shade of red, like his hair, before he closed them and grinning wider then she'd ever seen anyone in her life, it was like his smile took up his entire face.

"Hello, Hime-chan, it's been awhile, ne?" Yoko brought up his hand in a strange way, like a lazy salute she he said 'hello' to the little Hyuuga girl. His joy getting the better of him, seeing her and that she was okay; and much more adorable then he thought last night, now that he managed to get a good look at her. She had her mother's hair, noting the distinct midnight blue that was different from her father's dark-brown _almost_ black hair, the typical Hyuuga pale skin, although he noted she seemed to have more color than any other Hyuuga he'd seen, it made him wonder if they got whiter as they got older, the thought almost made him snicker. Thought, there was something odd he did notice about her, her eyes, while mostly white like the rest of her clan, were actually tinted… lavender? He wondered if it was a mutation, or a recessive gene, both her parent's eyes were white, although Kanna's did seem to have a tint to them, he thought it was just the bad lighting in the room, though he could be wrong. But either way, the little girl was absolutely adorable in her little pink kimono, almost like a mini-version of her mother. Yoko didn't doubt she would grow up to be a very beautiful woman.

"K-kitsune-s-san?" oh and her little voice was like a bell, Yoko couldn't help but grin his foxy-grin, more glad to hear his from said without malice than anything else, and that she remembered him. He nodded his head to her, and what fear she had instantly melted into a bubbly little smile, "S-so it i-is you?"

The red-head smiled again, "Yes, my dear little princess, it is me," Yoko set his crimson eyes on her, happy to see she was delighted to see him, instead of looking on in fear like he dreaded she would. No one in Konoha had liked the mention of his former-kind since what he had done three years ago, yet here was a darling little girl that was actually 'delighted' to see someone she associated with kitsune, the irony made him want to laugh. –_I bet this is Kanna's doing, that woman did seem to know much more then she should_- He smiled, "May I ask your name little princess?"

The little girl's cheeks seemed to color pink, probably embarrassed at being called 'princess', but Yoko enjoyed his little tease, "A-ano… Hy-yuuga H-Hinata, K-kitsune-san," she said with an adorable smile.

Yoko smiled as well, then suddenly smacked himself in the forehead, which probably really hurt since he had his hitae-ate on, "Gomen, Hime-chan, how utterly rude of me," the little girl looked at him oddly, not understanding why he was apologizing. Yoko stood up to his full height, grinning down at the little dark-haired girl like the fox he was, "I forgot to introduce myself before asking your name, Hime-chan."

The little girl seemed even more embarrassed at seeing how tall he was, or maybe it was the way he was talking, either way Yoko found it cute how she looked utterly perplexed, "A-ano, Kitsune-san, w-what do you-u mean?"

Yoko smiled at her question; something Hinata thought was odd, since only her mom smiled when she asked something. The red-head patted her on the head, another oddly friendly gesture the Hyuuga girl wasn't particularly familiar with, "Well you see, Hine-chan, it is proper to introduce yourself before you ask someone else's name, and I seem to have completely forgotten such a basic thing…" the Fox-ANBU bowed deeply, "please forgive me for my rudeness Hime-chan?"

The little girl seemed utterly surprised by the gesture, she waved her hands in front of her, "N-no, Kitsune-san, t-there's-s no n-need…"

Yoko raised his head swiftly, grinning directly at her looking like the fox she continued to call him, "Very well, how about a do-over?" she cocked her head to the side in the universal sign of confusion, and Yoko only smiled wider, he stood up straight again, looking down at the little girl, "hello, Hime-chan," toping it with a fox grin.

At first Hinata was confused, but realized quickly what he was doing, she straightened up like her father taught her and bowed politely in greeting, "O-ohayo Kitsune-san," she looked back up into the man's crimson eyes and found him smiling again. Then he got down, rather dramatically, on his knee and held his hand out to the little girl, a big cheesy grin on his face that Hinata couldn't help but giggle at.

Yoko was happy to hear her laugh at him. –_She really is like her mother_- "Well, Hime-chan, my name is Yoko, may I have the pleasure of knowing your name?"

The little girl looked at him funny again, "A-ano, y-you a-already…" she didn't get it, but after to looking at the funny smirk on the kitsune-man's face decided to play along, not that she was very well versed with play-acting, "a-ano… M-my name i-is Hyuuga H-Hinata, Y-Yoko-san." She put her tiny hand in his, since he seemed to be holding his hand that as if waiting for her to do it, then he shook their hands twice.

Yoko smiled, "It is a pleasure to meet you Hyuuga Hinata," then Hinata smiled and repeated what he said, a little shaky and saying his name instead, and they let go of each other's hand. Yoko just smiled at the young girl, she was adorable, and sweet, especially for a Hyuuga, and he began to wonder how she would be later on in life. –_Well knowing her mother, she will be just fine_- Yoko smiled at the little girl one more time, then exchanging farewells, and him promising to come see her again he left the home of the Hyuugas, only fearing the wrath of the red-haired woman he had to go back home to.

-_Kushina won't kill me for talking to them, right?_- even his conscious mind wasn't dumb enough to answer that question, he sighed –_At least I have somewhere to run to now in case_- then he smirked –_That is if Hiashi doesn't mind me being around_- Yoko laughed out loud at his own thoughts, anyone else on the street steering clear of the strange man with the red hair.

* * *

A/N: just to clearify, about the whole 'name' thing:

Kanna in an of itself, doesn't really mean anything, except a weird reference to a 'plane of wood', but using it in the word 'Kannagi' and it came out as 'Shrine madian, Diviner, Fortune teller' something along those lines...

Kwan-an is the Chinese goddess of mercy, that was still worshiped in Japan with a similar name, though i'm not sure on its spelling...

i picked Kanna for the very purpose that it sounded similar, and it kinda plays with her personality if you've ever seen/read 'Journey to the west' in any adaptation...

on an interesting note while i was looking for translations on 'Kanna', i found that by adding an 'H' at the end making it 'Kannah' actually means something like 'Sick, or diseased, or dying from disease' which in all honestly made me laugh... you'll find out the irony of this later, if i ever get to writing that part -giggles evily-

When Yoko says 'Inari-Ijoufu' that's not an actually expression, i just found the word 'Ijoufu' which means something like 'Great God' and figured since he's a kitsune, or was, he'd say something like 'Inari is a great god' or 'Great god Inari' blah, blah...

Questions, comments, opposing views? (Reviews?)

Till next -salute-waves- Sayounara, Mina!!

-Ikasury


	4. The best day of your life

A/N: for some god-aweful reason i may never know... this totally didn't go the way i wanted it... sure i actually LOVE the way it did go, but for some reason i just couldn't get myself to ruin the cuteness (well as cute as these two get -.- ) at the end of this chapter...

so, sadly, instead of the plot-moving smexies i HAD planned, i end up with beautiful gorey fluff with a bunch of misfits... -shrugs- oh well, to each their own, i'm sure i'll get that scene in at some point, if not the next chappy, then the one after, i mean i HAVE to get it in there somewhere.... -grumbles about non-cooperating minds-

dis: -snores- dun... own... -particularity loud snoring- -.-zZzZzZ....

other general stuffs: mein gawd Anko has a dirty mind... i'll leave it at that -looks around-

enjoy!!

* * *

Back and forth, back and forth, their bodies moved in the eternal rhythm. One moment his hand held hers, the next they were separated. His mind in a hyper-focus he only found in moments like this. His senses burning, roaring, as he caught that look in her chocolate eyes, the light reflecting that glint in them. He felt on fire as he caught her succulent scent, as his crimson eyes followed that bead of sweet down her neck. It was completely intoxicating, never before had he enjoyed this so much… had so much fun with such a mundane action…

This certainly was a female.

His eyes were mesmerized and trained on the finely moving body of the young woman next to him, each thrust of her limbs affecting him, his mind honing in and focusing on the way she moved over everything else. He knew it was dangerous, knew it was foolish, but never before had been so taken by such a display…

The way this woman fought was absolutely brutal.

-_And absolutely fascinating_- Yoko's crimson eyes followed the snake-masked woman's every move as she plowed through her opponents with brutal efficiency. Her strikes moved quickly like the vipers she summoned, one blow leading into the next with barely a pause, nor any concern for the opponents she left on the floor bleeding. She would move from a jugular strike on one to a jerked axed to another right into a rapid finger-strike combo to the heart on a third, then raising her arms and sicing a horde of summoned serpents on a forth. The woman had absolutely no restraint when it came to mowing through enemies, and the fox-masked ANBU was almost positive she was smirking like the devil under that mask of hers, enjoying every minute of torturous pain she delivered to these men.

Without even paying attention, as it was all on his accomplice, the red-haired man's arm reached out and grabbed a would-be attacker by the throat, and quickly crushed his wind-pipe, effectively ending the man's life. Then with barely any pause pulled a kunai from his side pouch and threw it an inch behind the woman, effectively hitting a man with a club between the eyes. Her masked seemed to turn towards him for a moment, and Yoko wondered if she was pouting at him.

The two of them had effectively cleared this room, the snake-masked woman giving one barely living guy a swift kick in the balls, just for effect, before the two of them quickly disappeared out of the room. Yoko led the way, hopefully, out of this godforsaken base. The two of them had been trying to make their way out of this place for the past hour, constantly running into some kind of resistance, and having no help. They had to simply forge on ahead, hoping they didn't die. It was times like this that Yoko wished he had the powers of his former glory, sure hoping now was kind of stupid, but it was nice to dream every now and then.

"There should be an opening up ahead," His partner said, even her gruff voice he found irresistibly appealing at this point. He paused a moment in his running to allow her to get ahead of him, as she lead the way. The other members of their '_team_' hadn't liked her snake summons all that much, right now; Yoko was finding the slippery bastards to be quite handy, especially with their abilities to sense out heat signatures in pitch black areas. It certainly helped them to avoid a few potential ambushes here and there.

Yoko's ears twitched as they turned a corner, "Shit!" he quickly dove for the woman in front of him, pushing her out of the way as he threw himself in the way of a spring trap set up with poison kunai. He heard the woman's breathe hitch as he took over twenty in the back, and heard her confusion as another of himself quickly grabbed her hand and dragged her to her feet and kept running. He heard her breathe a sigh of relief as she looked back and saw that the 'Yoko' that had saved her had burst into a cloud of white smoke, and the man pulling her arm was in fact the original. Yoko simply pulled her hand tighter, his voice was gruff from all the exertion, "Come on."

"Right," he sensed the woman nod to him as she retook up her place in front of him, "This way," she took another sharp turn, cleverly avoiding the slightly more obvious trap, as the two of them continued down the hall, hopefully, towards the exit. As luck would have it, the end of this hall **was** the exit, but as it seemed ever present in Yoko's new life, nothing was ever what it seemed, or that easy.

As soon as the two of them stepped out the door they were pelted down with thousands upon thousands of poisoned kunai, and a couple with explosive tags. It was only through years of experience and reflexes that the two ANBU bolted to an all out run 90 degrees from the way they were coming and took cover behind various debris. The two of them immediately went to eliminate those closest to their hiding spots, Yoko using the clawed knuckles he had to rend his three opponents, while the snake-woman pulled out two kodachi and sliced one of hers in twain and completely eviscerating the other. The two managed to avoid the hail of more kunai from the remaining forces blocking their way to freedom, and met up behind a rather large trench made from one of the extremely volatile explosive notes.

"Well this day just sucks," the young woman said without much ado, bringing a smirk to Yoko's hidden face.

"Well, it could be worse…" he offered lightly, completely ignoring the vibrant yelling of their foes not far behind them.

The purple haired woman next to him snorted, "Worse? What the hell could be worse than this?" she absentmindedly started pulling out spare kunai and wrapping explosive notes around them, Yoko was almost pensive by this action, seeing as she was rather pissed while doing it, "I mean first this crappy mission," she held up one finger, "Then being assigned to those assholes of '_teammates_'," a second finger, "Then the fuckers up and leave us in the middle of a goddamned mission, just because they were too much of pussies to deal with a _little_ resistance," a third finger, although the red-haired man next to her had to laugh at the fact she thought all this was just '_a little_' resistance. Her snake mask turned to him, and he was almost positive she was pouting, or glaring, "then all this crap," she held up four fingers, mask still 'glaring' at him, "And to top it all off, I'm stuck in a ditch, pinned down by morons, with _**you**_…" he could almost feel her eyes narrowing as she made a fist.

Yoko turned to the side, making it look like he was observing their enemy, when he was really just smirking, "Is being here with me such a _**bad**_ thing?"He turned back to her, the face on his fox mask mimicking his real one.

She turned to the other side, her body language screaming she was pouting and pissed at the same time, "No, I suppose not," she looked over her explosive kunai, "Least I know you won't '_accidently_' try to kill me… like those other fuckers," she seemed to shrug like it was nothing.

Yoko frowned, he knew it wasn't nothing, "Teammates are supposed to watch out for each other," he clinched his fists; "If I ever find those bastards again I'm stringing them up by their manhood…" the scowl on his face was easy to hear in his voice. The blood and rage was pumping in his veins when he thought about those traitors, and how they just left them to die. So he was rather surprised to hear light laughter next to him from his comment.

"Hehe, if you **do** ever find them," the snake-mask turned towards the fox-masked ANBU, "Make sure I'm there to watch," she pulled out one of her kodachi and seemed to eye it sadistically, "I want to savor every moment…" Yoko could hear the sadistic purr in the young woman's voice at the idea of torturing them.

He grinned behind his mask, "I'll keep that in mind," their jovial mood was quickly ruined by another hail of poisoned projectiles from overhead. On reflex he grabbed her and pinned her down beneath him as the kunai ate away at their meager cover. When the dust cleared and the whirring of that kunai-throwing contraption these bastards used stopped, as Yoko assumed to 'reload', their little hideaway was nothing but an inch above him, leaving absolutely no cover whatsoever. The red-head grunted, "Well their goes any hope of _**not**_ being shot at…" he looked down at his partner, finding it odd she gave little to no reaction about their position, if anything she was rather receptive. Yoko's eyebrow rose at the concept –_And here a moment ago she was badmouthing working with __**me**__ of all people_- He smirked under his mask, "So what say you we go 'greet' our hosts?"

The fox-ANBU could swear he could hear her lip curl into a smirk, "Fine," she seemed to say with a sigh, he heard the familiar _**click**_ of a kunai being drawn from below him. Her serpentine mask leveled with his, like she was giving him a pensive glare, "but first I think you should put the _little_ fox away," she tapped the sharp tip of the kunai in her hand expertly between Yoko's legs, making her threat _**very**_ clear. The sharp blade point rubbed up against the red-head's most prided anatomy, and he was actually fearful for a moment she wouldn't _accidently_ have it slip.

Yoko scowled at the woman below him, and wondered if she realized he was, "Woman," he said low, raising himself as much as he dared to, considering their situation, even though the two of them seemed to ignore it, "I'll have you know that is a perfectly natural reaction to high amounts of adrenaline and physical exertion," he would thank that old monkey later for forcing him to study medical Ninjutsu and anatomy, sure it made him a more efficient killer in this limited human body, but it also made him know too damn much about certain things. There was a hail of more kunai and he was forced even lower onto her, again his mask leveling with hers, "And I suggest you not complain, considering the situation."

The snake-mask seemed to jerk, and he got the impression she was rolling her eyes at him, "fine, fine," she brought her hand that held the dreaded kunai away from the male's 'little friend'. She looked to the side, seemingly trying to get her bearings of the situation before looking straight into the fox-mask again, "so we going to do it or what?"

Yoko smirked, the grinning mask becoming his true face as he grasped her tighter, bringing the two that much closer, "Now or later?" while a moment ago he may have been ready to claim up and down that the hardening in his lower anatomy was simply from 'physical exertion', now he was willing to play the dutiful pervert. –_Hey, she said it, not me!!_- That long neglected portion of his foxy-nature just couldn't help the chance of being release, even if it was in the middle of a life-or-death battle, where they could easily both die.

He seemed to hear a long sigh from the woman below him, but overall not a definite 'no', which gave him a moment to pause trying to consider this possibility… for all of five seconds before the snake-woman kicked him up over her and the two went tumbling away from their minimal cover, only for it a moment later to explode with a fiery fury as some kind of large explosive was thrown down. For a moment in their roll Yoko was the one to sigh, and in the next the two jumped apart several feet, taking a flanking side each, he with his clawed fists and that woman with her expert kodachi.

Yoko had gone right, while the snake-ANBU had gone left, him into a large grouping, and her towards that kunai spewing machine they kept loading up. –_Apparently they still haven't finished loading it_- The red-head grinned under his mask. –_Perfect_- He barreled into the small mob surrounding the right flank, putting his foot into one guy's face and a clawed fist into another's, following with him breaking one guy's skull over his knee.

When three men fell in less than a second the remainder took that moment to step back surrounding the fox-masked man. What they saw currently horrified them; at least two of their group simply ran away when they got the chance. Here was a man, if he could be called that, decked out in the familiar black and grey armor of the Konoha's ANBU-black Ops. With these huge gauntlets that covered his fists with claws coming out of the knuckles, they were already scary just thinking about what they could do, but seeing the blood of comrades dripping down them with a chunk of flesh or two from the men currently lying at his feet, well to say the least one guy lost his lunch. Then there was his face, or mask, but if ever asked these men would simply call it his real face, that smirking grinning wicked face of a kitsune as it studies its prey. Add in the nine long blood red pony tails the 'man' had with the rings tied to the end and these poor fools were almost convinced they were seeing the Kyuubi no Kitsune in human form… oh how right they were.

Without a seal or sound Yoko created enough kage-bushins to flank each man, about three of them managed a blow on his, killing two, before the other ten or so seemed to finally notice they were 'surrounded'. One simply dropped to his knees at the sight of another red-haired kitsune, another got his face blown off by that clawed fist, three went for the original after dispelling theirs, realizing it was only some kind of bushin, and the rest handled whatever they could. Yoko bounced back and around, dodging his opponents, dealing damage to some, all the while saturating the place with his killer intent, giving these people more to fear with their conscious created illusions of him. He'd found that this tactic worked rather nicely, ningen were idiots who let their fear of demons control them, and with his mask and hair, plus throw in a few rumors that Konoha had the Kyuubi as a weapon, and all it took was the rest of their imagination to put the rest in place. Usually this tact left him with shaken opponents, or they just run, like a few of these men had, otherwise he just has to deal with the rest. He blew a hole through another man's ribcage when the thought of –_Maybe that's why others don't like working with me_- came to mind.

He shook his head. –_Now isn't the time to care about that_- After dodging another man's sword, and receiving information that one of his clones had _Poofed!_ He chanced a look over at his current co-worker, finding an odd tug at his conscious mind when he saw her weaving in and out of a fight with five obviously male opponents **much** larger then she was. He saw her lashing out with her kodachi, and a snake here or there, but they seemed to be cornering her. Despite their bulk the five men seemed incredibly fast, and they weren't taking much damage from her blades, obviously these were the real fighters in this pathetic group, seeing as he was taking his out left and right. Speaking of which there went one guy to his left, and another to his right, and Yoko didn't even remember sending a fist out to pound their pathetic ningen skulls in. A growl escaped his lips beneath his mask, something was wrong, his mind was becoming hyper-focused, his opponents were becoming slower, weaker in his frenzied mind, and his instincts were honing in on his movements.

He had felt this before, in many battles when things became life or death, but something was different about this one. These fools weren't enough for him to feel that threatened, in fact he just cut one guy's head off with his hair wrapping around his throat and pulling it taught, the beautiful jugular fountain lost on his frenzied mind, as well as that odd red shimmer that seemed to be coating that tail of hair that just killed that man. He felt like there was a barrier in his mind, and ever time this 'frenzied' mode seemed to kick in he was getting closer and closer to touching that barrier. It was red in a sea of black in his mind, but still he could never seem to touch it, or get close to it, and for some reason his long forgotten instincts were trying to rush towards it. There were two men left, and from the looks in their eyes they weren't even going to stick around to the end, both simultaneously bolted in different directions. –_Cowards_- and two kage-bushins formed in front of them with a wisp of red tinted smoke and bore down on them with their clawed fists. Yoko's feral eyes were passive to the gory display, his burning red eyes turning towards the others that were behind them, and that weapon.

A red ball of fury and chakra seemed to crash into the gunnery-team. They had no idea what hit them just that it was fast, it was big, and it burned to the touch. The red-head smashed into one man with all the fury he had, another with his foot, and when all that was left was that machine he simply gathered all the chakra he had into his fist and smashed the damned thing to pieces. He didn't care that he was supposed to retrieve it, didn't care that he probably just destroyed the only proto-type of a weapon his village wanted, all he knew with his frenzied mind was that it was something that had agitated him for far too long, and to make matters worse it was aimed at that woman.

There was a sudden scream that pierced through Yoko's hazed mind. His ears twitched and he turned towards it, his eyes burning as he did. That yell was very distinct, it was female, and in the language of instincts that these foolish ningen seemed to always ignore it meant '**Pain**', deep, unequivocal pain. His crimson eyes locked on the scene before him and the world seemed to slow to a crawl. That hebi-mistress, the one who didn't seem to mind him like the others did, seated against a tree, the deep indent in it meant she had been throw there, and hard, her left arm wasn't moving and she was panting heavily, with only a single kodachi in her right arm in front of her in a bloody fist that looked like it was probably broken. At some point in the scuffle her mask had come off, her violet hair was matted and covering over a single chocolate colored eye, while the other was closed with blood pouring down the right side of her face. Yoko didn't notice the body laying a few feet away from her, or the man approaching him, he didn't notice the earth begin to tremble around him, or the fear in that bulky man close to him's eyes. All he saw was her, that defiant look in her one open eye, the sweat on her face, the fury, and the blood. He saw the three remaining men closing in on her, hear them grin and laugh, hear that sick urge in them to take her before she died. He felt his blood begin to boil and rage cloud his mind.

-_never again…_- he heard his mind say as they closed in on her.

-_Never Again_- He could feel his mind finding that red barrier, his fingers brushing against it.

-_NEVER AGAIN!-_ His eyes closed and he could see the same scene play out to him, the same scene almost five years ago when he barreled through the bushes to find the body of his dying mate, her kits ripped from her womb and her body bleeding out. He could see those filthy ningen who had murdered her, taken her away from him, thorn away his life. He felt his fist crash through that red barrier.

"**NEVER AGAIN!!**" screamed Yoko's human voice as it transformed into a demonic roar, his flaming eyes opening to see nothing but red as his flaming fist tore through that squirming ningen closest to him and he charged towards the three perpetrators. This time he would kill them, this time he would save his female, this time they would feel his revenge before they even committed the crime.

* * *

The mission had started out easy. A simple get in, grab the enemy ninja's gear and whatever scrolls on whatever weapon, and get the fuck out as quickly and quietly as possible. Simple. Yeah, right.

First there was their team, if she could even bring her mind to call them that. It was her and _That_ guy, along with four other wannabe ANBU sent out to find some weapon a boarder clan had made and retrieve it, in worst case scenario destroy it and bring back the blueprints. Easy enough, so why was it once they got within a mile of the place their supposed '_Leader_', a newly minted prick who got captain by sucking the right peoples' asses, goes and tells her and 'Yoko' to infiltrate the place, to 'scout out the forces' he says, so they know what they're up against. She knew from the beginning something was wrong, but that stupid fox had to say 'Yes sir!' and drag her along with him to 'scout'. She swore they both knew it was a trap, and when they walked into it she was fucking surprised to see the rest of their 'team' shaking hands with the enemy and exchanging scrolls. The fuckers had sold them out. She remembered gritting her teeth as she saw them **both** exchanging scrolls, so the bastards didn't just sell her and the fox out, but the village as well.

Her, she could understand, who the hell wanted Orachi-fucking-maru's reject around anyway. Hell she understood why they wanted to get rid of the bastard fox, he was a cocky asshole that constantly showed them up, but she doubted they actually _knew_ who he really was, like she did. But the village? Who the fuck in ANBU sells out the village? She was tempted to send a couple of snakes at the bastards, but was beat to the punch by that chivalrous bastard trapped with her, who threw a good sized fireball at the whole lot, badly burning one guy, freaking out their prick 'teammates' and burning both scrolls. Oops, too bad.

So the other bastards had bolted, they'd been clubbed over the head and sent into the bowels of their fucking base… where with a pretty damn good punch from that fox had completely destroyed the gate 'holding' them in. With a few well placed snakes, the guards were gone, and they were free, well would have been if that stupid grinning bastard next to her hadn't said they needed to get a copy of the blueprints or the machine. She wanted to rip her fucking hair out at that. What the hell was he thinking? They needed to get out and abort the mission, they had to catch those traitors and punish them, hell blow the whole fucking base up while they were at it, something!!

…and normally she would have made all those thoughts known, loudly, but for some damnable reason she simply nodded her head curtly and sent a snake out to search the base. They quickly found what they needed, killed a few guards, and dipped from the place as quickly as they could. Or so was the plan, somewhere along the way an alarm was tripped, guards started pouring out of nowhere, and suddenly there were traps everywhere!! A whole mess of them too… so dodging kunai, avoiding deadly poisonous traps, and she grudgingly had to admit the bastard had indeed saved her life more times then she could count, but then again so did she so she figured they were even.

All was perfectly fine until they went out that fucking door. Out of the blinding darkness into the stunning light, and hail of poisonous kunai, courtesy of that Gatling machine they were trying to steal and-or destroy. So he goes right, she goes left, he kills three guys, she slices two in half, they meet up behind a crater-rock-thing that provides them enough cover to let her fester about how fucking bad her day is. Only to make matters worse when she saves her, AGAIN, by a pelting of poisonous, and a few explosive kunai that demolish their little shield. And the first thing she thinks of is his rather hard cock rubbing up against her leg through their standard issue ANBU uniform. Not that he saved her, not that they were in serious DOOM, not that they could die with one well placed explosive, no her exhausted, hormonal, adrenaline pumping mind zeros in on his anatomy and their more than compromising position. AND she calls him on it, what the hell!? Not to mention her normal reflex of '_threatening_' said male with losing '_said anatomy_', thanks the kunai in her hand.

He gives a rather well maintained 'medical' and logical reasoning, not apparently _too_ annoyed with her perverted teenaged mind, and she's reminded that some people, not her, don't get horny just because they could die in the next five seconds. He even chastises her, and she's reminded that the situation doesn't really call for any of this, so without thinking the words, "So are we going to do it or what?" slips out of her mouth.

She suddenly finds herself pulled in tighter by the guy, their position making itself even more 'uncomfortable', and she can practically hear the prankster grin in his deep voice when he responds with, "Now or later?"

… And for a good second she is actually considering his proposition. –_right here, now, behind this crumbling rock, with who-knows how many enemies a few moments away from killing us…_- now, while the more 'kinky' side of her mind, and the side that loves being an absolute prick to anyone around, is _**seriously**_ considering taking him up on his probably mocking offer, right now, that self-preservation instinct kicks in really quick when her senses twinge on an incoming explosive. With a heavy sigh she kicks him more to the side, ending any thoughts of perhaps legendary 'kink', and saves their lives from a rather large explosive as they both simply roll away, only to quickly bolt apart from each other quickly after.

For a moment she thought she heard that fox-masked bastard sigh.

Again, they bolt in separate directions, her left, him right, him going after the larger force of twenty or so young men, her going after that stupid machine that started this whole bad damned day. For a moment she heard the sounds of battle kick up, along with the unmistakable sound of bones cracking and agonizing pain. She would have chanced a glance to her right, to see how that fox was doing, but the slit eyes of her snake mask didn't allow for that kind of peripheral vision. –_I wish they designed these things better, I mean seriously, what if something came in at us from beyond the stupid 70 degree angle we can s_- unfortunately her thoughts were cut off by the exact problem with the masks she was considering.

Coming in low on her right side, outside her limited peripheral vision came a large man's fist. Only instinct had her turn her face just enough so that the mask took the brunt of the impact. Hey, the thing was made of an enhanced reinforced metal and wood for a damn good reason, they weren't just meant to hide their charming good looks and be badass. She managed to spin in mid-air, sliding one of her kodachi along her flight path, hopefully hitting the man's fist. Unfortunately it only hit armored gauntlets, and her mid-air body was plummeting towards another rather large man. –_These must be the __**real**__ guards_- like she needed another fucking reason to hate this day.

With her diminishing chakra reserves she summoned a fairly large snake and siced it on the man, he was distracted for a moment as she used him as a vault and flew towards the other man again, this time with both kodachi bared, ready to take the man's life… only to yet again be thwarted, this time with a world shattering punch to the gut from a third very large man. She was sure that if it wasn't for the ANBU armor most, if not all, of her ribs would have been broken. She skidded on the ground hard, going in for a roll as she righted herself into a kneeling position. –_I'm really getting sick and tired of being backhanded by mysterious wingmen_- the hebi-mistress took the moment on her position to catch her bearings of the situation, and gauge the real number of her opponents.

-_five of them, shit_- she was strong, hell having gone through life as she had, with everything thrown at her, including her fucker of a former teacher, and spending the day blowing out of an enemy base with _that_ guy, she had to be strong. But damn it all to hell even she knew she was nowhere near invincible, her bastard-teacher taught her that pretty fucking well, plus with all she'd been going on today, did she really have enough left to take on five armored and more than likely well trained shinobi at least twice her size each? –_Oh fuck no_- she brought her kodachi up across her chest as she scanned her opponents –_I'm so fucking screwed_- she gripped her half-sized swords tightly, and glared at them defiantly behind her snake-mask –_but like I have a fucking choice_- an evil smirk let itself loose on her lips.

If only for this moment, before she died would she be brave.

She charged forward, with everything she had, right into the center of the cadre. If she was going to go down today, with as bad of a day as it had been, she was taking as many of them with her to hell as she could. One closed in on her left, she spun, lashing out with a snake, as she jumped his fist and managed to cut another while a third went to grab her forearm. She ducked into a roll, cutting one man's calf causing him to fall from the pain, but she took a blow across the face that cracked her mask, skewing it to the side, a chip around the right eye coming loose and cutting across the top of her brow. Half of her face was revealed, not that she had any time to really take note as another came in with an axe-kick aimed for her exposed ribs. Without thinking she thrust her left hand out in front of her, as if to stop the coming blow –_**Senei Jashu**_- at least four snakes managed to extend out of her arm and grab the bulky man's leg, biting into him effectively ending the attack. He fell over wincing; trying to remove his leg from the serpents, and the hebi-mistress could see the building fear in his eyes as she knew he was losing feeling in his limb as the poison started creeping up his body.

She didn't have any more time to consider the outcome of that man's life as another quickly grabbed her distinctly smaller arm around her slim wrist, practically crushing it as he lifted her up to his eye level. She gritted her teeth as he squeezed her arm tighter, in a last ditch effort she raised her right fist and plowed it into the guys face, breaking his nose and maybe one or two of her knuckles. The guy seemed to snap, screaming at her, grabbing her already imprisoned arm with both hands and swinging her harshly towards a nearby tree.

Anko could not stop the blood curdling scream that escaped her throat as she hit the thick tree with enough force to dent and crack the bough, not to mention completely dislocate her left shoulder and slam to the ground with enough force leave her legs numb. She vaguely realized her mask had slipped off completely, and blood was pouring down the right side of her face. Her left arm was now useless until she could pop it back in, and she was in too much of a shock to get up and move from her spot. She was panting and sweating, gnawing on her lower lip in an attempt to ignore the pain her exhausted body was pumping up to her brain. What little sense was left in her mind noticed the large bulky movement towards her, instincts kicking in and she reflexively raised her remaining kodachi in front of her in a defensive manner, even though she knew it was useless.

-_I'm not dead yet_- her mind screamed, her defiant eyes burning into her enemies as they approached her, saying all kinds of obscenities, hell she'd heard worse in her life, but even she had some shred of pride left in her to die killing any bastard that tries to touch her. Her bloody knuckle gripped her remaining half-sword as she bared her teeth at these 'men'. –_I'll bite out their throats if I have to_-

"**NEVER AGAIN!!**"

Then she heard that roar, and suddenly the entire area was saturated with an unfathomable killer intent, if she wasn't already half-dazed from that crack against the tree, she was sure she'd be losing her lunch, if she had any, right now. She breathed in deeply against possibly cracked ribs as her sole open eye witnessed a flaming kitsune suddenly rip one of those huge bulky bastards in half with a single punch. She could feel the malice, feel the hatred, feel the sheer rage in the crimson juggernaut as he approached the remaining three. His hands moved like fire, that crimson cloak of what she could only assume was youkai reached out passed his body and grasped another perpetrator and burned his screaming body to ash, another simply crushed another one, and with only one man left she saw a limb of pure chakra from behind him snake around to impale the man straight through the chest, sending out a shockwave of flames that consumed his entire being to dust.

She had seen many things, often horrible things, twisted experiments from her former master, even the sadistic atrocities she had done herself when killing, hell she saw what happened that long night almost five years ago, yet somehow seeing _him_ like this was just as horrifying, if not worse. She had never seen Yoko's real face, always only that damnable mask, so seeing burning crimson slit eyes and bared fangs etched into pure hatred was scary, throw in those four black gashes on the sides of his face and he certainly looked like that beast from five years ago. The malicious flaming orange-red chakra cloak in the shape of a one-tailed fox only added to the obvious. Through in the blood steaming off of his bodysuit and fists which was pooling in the almost tangible chakra and he was downright horrifying.

-_He was a demon_- was the last thought she had before blissful darkness over came her senses and she knew nothing more.

* * *

She came back to the world of the living with a startled gasp, then as if on reflex drew a kodachi and put it at his throat. She seemed to have a lot of reflexes, Yoko noted. –_And all of them end up with something sharp and pointed at some part of my anatomy_- The fox ANBU could only sigh as he slowed his pace and stopped completely on a rather large bough, the kodachi still at his throat. She didn't ask any questions, and he wondered if she'd remove it even if he said he meant her no harm. He gave a disgruntled sigh, "You can put that away, you know…"

She seemed to let the blade linger for a moment, considering what to do with it, before she actually decided to remove the sharp object from his exposed flesh, "so what are we doing here?" she said nonplused, not really making any indication to right her position on his back or get off. Yoko merely grunted and adjusted her as he saw fit, forcing her back into the piggy-back position she had apparently been sleeping in.

"We're getting the hell out of here, what else do you think we're doing?" he asked, his voice seemed strained, like it was sore, or was he just growling?

She was half tempted to just lay her head back down on his shoulder and sleep, but the images of the fight decided to take this moment to come back to her. She gripped him tighter as she began to remember perhaps the worst day of her life, well okay maybe not _the_ **worst**, that had to have been _that_ day over five years ago, and no she wasn't thinking about the one when the Kyuubi attacked. She gritted her teeth –_But damn it all to hell, today pretty much sucked too_- she remembered the betrayal, their capture, escape, all the fighting, all the pain, and then almost dying by a bunch of no-name jackasses because she was tired… then Yoko tripping shit and… her mind seemed to click as she noticed something, or really the lack of something, "where are my wounds?"

The former-fox had been holding his breath for what she would say next, thinking it'd be something along the lines of '_Demon!!_' or '_Get away from me!!_' or any of the other myriad of things his mind could throw at him for what happened. So, when all he got was a simple question about her lack of wounds, he was surprised, and almost tripped, but he quickly corrected that. He continued looking forward, "I healed them," he told her, wondering if she would leave it at that or not. –_Does saying I force-fed her all the healing-stimulant pills I had while popping her arm back in place and using what little first aid Ninjutsu I knew on three cracked ribs and couple broken knuckles sound right?_-

"oh…" her voice was low as she nuzzled into the layers of his long red hair, "Okay," for some reason she felt more tired than she did a minute ago, and even weirder she didn't have that feeling of being attacked crawling up her spine. She would have found it more surprising if she wasn't already falling fast back into the world of sleep. –_I guess for a little while would be okay…_- her dazed and slipping mind began to wonder if this is what being comfortable felt like.

"Hebi?" Yoko glanced over his shoulder and saw the unusually peaceful face of her sleeping on his shoulder. –_With how much she squirms in her sleep, I wonder if it's actually okay to let her rest_- he gave out a defeated sigh as a small smirk came to his face, "sleep tight, we'll be outta here before you can scream '_Bastard Kitsune_', hehe," and he continued his run as far away from that base as he could, hopefully to an inn, or some other place hospitable to war-worn shinobi. He smirked –_Well if worst comes to worst I could always look up an old den_-

In a low voice he could barely hear if it wasn't next to his ear he heard the hebi-mistress mumble in her sleep, "bas… ta… d… kit… une…" before rolling her face over to the other shoulder, finding the spot more comfortable.

* * *

A/N: ano... i got nothing really to say this time 'round i suppose...

Senei Jashu: Hidden Shadow Snake-hands... i have no idea how that translates to that -.-

Hebi: Snake

was there anything else?

i loves reviews, though i don't have many T.T

Till next -salute-waves- Sayounara, Mina!!

-Ikasury


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